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Western Han Dynasty Lady: 西汉女士服



Cosplay by: 碧玉年华


Above: a modern recreation of the type of Qū jū 曲裾 dress. Qū jū 曲裾 largely wrapped around the woman's body while being secured by the tight belt around her waist. 

Han dynasty lady's attire, based on the assorted robes of Lady Dai recovered from Mawangdui Han Mausoleums. Most of the Qin- Han lady's fashion consisted of a one piece robe wrapped around the body and fastened in place by a belt strap. Compared to later dynasties- and also that of the later Eastern Han dynasty, the hairstyle of early Han women were largely plain and modest, with occasional straps. In the later centuries they began to wear elaborate halo of hairpins.



Mawangdui excavations provided one of the most significant discoveries regarding the life of the Han dynasty: The tomb complex not only contained many remarkably well preserved colorful silk items and  lacquer ware from the Western Han period but also several well preserved mummies: Notably, the mummy of Lady Dai herself. 



The bamboo scrolls recovered from the tomb also consisted on a contemporary Han edition of the famous "Art of War" -some current versions of "The Art of War" has the Mawandui version included in there. In short, the complex gave a valuable intimate glimpse into the life of the nobility in Western Han. For more information regarding to men's fashion in Western Han, please check out this link.





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Comments

kol said…
https://youtu.be/4XdPodNwSGU

Do you know the jewelry the on top of the head it reminds me of some of the Central Asian ones I'm so interested in relations between inner Asia and China as it was a mutual influence that they had on each other
October 13, 2019 at 9:53 AM
Dragon's Armory said…
Well because of heqin policies the Han was able to influence and shape the Xiongnu with the wives presented to the Khans. It makes perfect sense as you can go straight to the top of their political order and directly have input and forge new identities and interests.

A lot of the concepts in steppe culture also has great similarities with contemporary Han customs.

This video actually covers more of this in detail in both military and diplomatic aspects
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAGKRwirIjU
October 14, 2019 at 12:01 AM
Der said…
I prefer the simplicity of the early Han fashions. This is what Warring States fashions must have looked like to I guess. The elaborate and decadent fashions of later dynasties is nothing compared to the republican simplicity and rustic charm of earlier eras.

The fashion also looks bulky and thick, as if designed for constant cold weather. Was northern China at that time experiencing a mini-Ice Age I wonder?
October 15, 2019 at 9:57 AM
Dragon's Armory said…
Yeah I noticed that too, though I can't say for sure why that is. You are right about he part where in many dynasties the women start out wearing very drab and simplistic, rustic clothing, that correlates to the martial prowess of the dynasty's founders. Also pegged to the dynasty's vigor and toughness, but later on, the costumes would become very decadent and degenerate. You see this in Han, Tang, and the Qing as well. China also didn't have a great deal of Judeo-Christian / Islamic so you don't have the sudden shift toward religious "modesty" that covers much of the body (thank Tian for that.) Even the Manichians weren't that pronounced in their dress code in China.
October 15, 2019 at 4:56 PM
Der said…
As a dynasty matures and prospers, I guess it's natural for people to dress more opulent maybe?

Although I would slightly disagree with your point about religion induced modesty. Instead of Judeo-Christian / Islamic pressure, China did have Confucian and later neo-Confucian pressure during the Song dynasty towards more austere fashions and natural colors, almost Zen like calls for simplicity and frugality. Or am I wrong?
October 16, 2019 at 9:54 AM
henrique said…
Dress more opulent maybe would be the case within liberal economic progress deeply influenced by bourgeoning rise of the middle class, the private aspect where the self and ego matter above everything else. The only way to counteract it would be to enact sumptuary laws as a conservative measure 'state-owned collectivism' such as the song dynasty did with a super boom of wealthy merchants turning into confucian scholar-officials instead, clothing as you said is just part of something larger involving moral decay, hedonism, materialism, nihilism, ostentation and decay of moral customs.
It is clearly visible happening in Weimar germany before Nazi Germany, liberal japan modelled by the Taisho democracy before Showa statism, mannerist italian renaissance in its creative, diverse and more radical phase before the oppressive and standardized baroque imposed by the Council of Trent and the Genroku era the golden age of ukiyo-e world (even pornography depicting zoophilia was in circulation) before Kyōhō Reforms
October 17, 2019 at 6:27 PM
流云飞袖 said…
white girls is also beautiful.
红唇 金发 碧眼 黛眉 素颜
Red lips,blonde hair,blue eyes,black eyebrows and white face
😜
October 21, 2019 at 6:37 AM
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