Historical Relics of Chinese Costume: A Study of Chinese Costume Art from the Perspective of Archaeology

This book combs through the development of Chinese costume art from ancient times to the Ming and Qing dynasties， covering accessories， make-up， clothing shape， clothing materials， and other aspects. Based on archaeological excavations of historical relics， it classifies and organizes cultural relics such as textile tools， fabric fragments， human figurines， portraits， clothing， and accessories released by museums across China. By comparing the excavation results of field archaeology with the records of historical classics， a preliminary analysis and interpretation of the origin and evolution of Chinese clothing was made.

During the Qin and Han dynasties， there was significant progress in the art of dance performance， with the emergence of dedicated performers for the noble class to watch. Archaeological excavations of multiple Han Dynasty dance figurines demonstrate the popularity of dance performances. According to Han Feizi： Five Worms， “As the saying goes， ‘Long sleeves are good for dancing， and wealth is good for merchants.’” In the Warring States Period， long-sleeved dances existed， and in the Han Dynasty， long-sleeved folding dances became more popular in the life of the nobility. During the Han Dynasty， palace dancers were known for their ability to perform long-sleeved dances. Long-sleeved dances were made by taking out a section of their regular sleeves and adding narrow and long fake sleeves to enhance the beauty of the dance. The long-sleeved dance clothes of palace dancers in the Han Dynasty were often sewn with decorations such as gold and silver beads， tortoiseshell， feathers， and jade. The fabric was lightweight and gorgeous， and the clothing styles were ingenious and varied.

In the Han Dynasty， the court had specialized dance performers， and aristocratic officials and wealthy merchants often kept singing and dancing girls in their homes. Long-sleeved dance was popular in the Han Dynasty. Dancers wore long-sleeved clothes with a waist as simple as a bundle， and the elongated sleeves swayed with the dancing posture， showcasing the graceful and elegant performance image of the dancers， reflecting the romantic aesthetic concept and social trends of the Han Dynasty.

The Chinese National Museum has a collection of Han Dynasty painted pottery and dance figurines （Figure 4-65）， standing in a long-sleeved dance posture. The head of the human figurine is divided in the middle， folded around the back of the neck， and tied into a bun， wearing a cross-necked right lapel deep garment with a triple neckline， pleated sleeves and extended dance sleeves， with wide edges on both collar and sleeves， the garment drags to the ground， showcasing the artistic characteristics of the Han Dynasty dance clothing.

Painted dance figurines （Figure 4-66） were unearthed from the tomb of the King of Chu on Tuolan Mountain in the Xuzhou Museum collection， with a height of 45 centimeters and a dancing posture. The dancer’s figurine has hair parted in the middle and is wrapped in a bun at the back of her head. She is dressed in a deep coat with a cross collar and right lapel， tightly fitting and long， trailing the ground. The sleeves of the dance dress are lengthened by two layers， showcasing the graceful dance posture of the folded waist dance with raised sleeves.

The Hanyang Mausoleum Museum in Xi’an has painted dance figurines （Figure 4-67） measuring 55 centimeters in height and in a dancing posture. The hairstyle of the figurines is divided in the middle of the forehead， with a drooping bun on the back of the neck and a deep coat with a right lapel at the cross collar. The waist is tied by a train， the body is tight and narrow， and the dress is long， which is rich and vivid， showing the dress image of the court dancers of the Han Dynasty.

The painted dance pottery figurines （Figure 4-68） unearthed from the Tomb of the King of Chu on Tuo Lan Mountain in the Xuzhou Museum are in a long-sleeved dance posture， with hair parted in the middle and folded into a bun. They are dressed in a deep coat with a cross collar and right lapel， tightly fitting and long， with dance sleeves lengthening， reproducing the form of Han Dynasty palace dance costumes.

The Jade Dancer （Figure 4-69） in the Museum of the Southern Yue King of the Western Han Dynasty in Guangzhou， measuring 3.5 centimeters in height， is a circular sculpture of a dancer. The dancer throws her sleeves up with one hand and throws them behind her with the other in a long-sleeved folding dance posture. The dancer’s hair is gathered at the back of her head and tied into a bun. She is dressed in a deep robe with a right lapel and a curved train， with a waist strap and a length that stretches to the ground. The human figurine has a vivid shape and is the image of a Yue girl performing the Chu dance.

A pair of dancer jade pendants （Figure 4-70）， measuring 4.6 centimeters in height and in a dancing posture， were unearthed from Tomb 1 of King Xishan of the Western Han Dynasty in the collection of the Henan Provincial Museum. The dancer is dressed in a cross-necked right lapel deep robe， with elongated sleeves and a swaying hem， creating a dynamic and folded posture. The dancer’s clothing form is carved with simple， thin Yin lines and decorated with cloud patterns of a realistic style.

A pair of conjoined jade dancers （Figure 4-71） were unearthed from the Han Dynasty tomb in Xi’an. The dancers are wearing a high bun on top of their heads， a deep robe with a cross-necked right lapel， a curved train wrapped around the lapel， elongated sleeves， and long clothes that drag to the ground. The hem is tilted outward， and the lower edge is cut into sharp corners of different sizes. They are wide and narrow at the top and shaped like a swallow’s tail， creating the image of a Han Dynasty woman wearing a dress.

The rap figurines were Haiyou people who engaged in music， dance， and comedy during the Han Dynasty. The Haiyou people are usually topless， short， and comical figures who accompany their master to perform humorous banter for the master to enjoy.

The Hebei Provincial Museum has a collection of rap and singing figurines unearthed from Han tombs in Mancheng （Figure 4-72）， used as a town for pressing curtains or seating corners， which has practical and anti-evil effects. The Haikou figurines， in a rap posture， are made cross-legged， with a high bun and a cap on the head. They are dressed in gold patterned clothing， both with a bare chest and exposed abdomen and a wide mouth and short hakama underneath. The vivid design showcases the clothing characteristics of Han Dynasty Haikou artists.

The East Han pottery rap figurine （Figure 4-73） in the collection of the Sichuan Provincial Museum is 66.5 centimeters tall and stand in a standing shape， made of clay gray pottery material. The human figurine is tied in a bun on the top of its head， with its eyes slightly closed， its mouth open and tongue out， its arms raised， its left hand holding a drum， and its right hand holding a hammer. The human figurine is naked on its upper body， wearing a circular armband on its left arm and a wide-mouthed court dress on its lower body. The court dress waist is lowered， revealing its bulging belly， creating a comical and vivid image， making it a haiyou figure in the Han Dynasty rap performance.

The Shaanxi History Museum has a collection of Han Dynasty wrestling figurine relief bricks （Figure 4-74）， on which there is a relief of a warrior wrestling figurine. The human figurine’s eyes are wide open， their fists clenched， and are in a standing position. The human figurines are naked on the upper body， wearing shorts between the waist and crotch， barelegged and barefoot， and have a strong physique， reflecting the clothing image of sumo wrestling warriors in the Han Dynasty.

Chinese wrestling， also known as jiaodi， was very popular among the people during the Qin and Han dynasties. According to the Criminal Law Annals of the Book of Han， “After the Spring and Autumn Period， the weak were eliminated， and the small were swallowed up. During the Warring States period， the ceremony of martial arts was slightly increased， and the Qin Dynasty changed its name to Jiaodi.” After the Qin merged with the Six Kingdoms， martial arts and military affairs ceased， and the martial arts culture was often expressed in Jiaodi activities. Jiaodi became a competitive and popular performance event among the people.

Historical Relics of Chinese Costume： A Study of Chinese Costume Art from the Perspective of Archaeology

Zhen Na

China Textile amp; Apparel Press

January 2023

98.00 （CNY）

Zhen Na

Zhen Na is an associate professor at the School of Fashion and Design Arts at Sichuan Normal University， mainly engaged in teaching and research in the fields of art history， design history， and fashion design.