Chinese Imperial Clothing – The Emperors’ Clothes: Dragon Robes
The dragon is an ancient mythological creature represented in varying forms among different cultures. In the Chinese culture, it is regarded with reverence and symbolizes potency and power.
The dragon reigns supreme in the Chinese animal hierarchy as it is believed to be a combination of a tiger, a devil, a snake, and an eagle. The strong beliefs that surround its existence are deeply entrenched in the Chinese culture.
What Dragon Robes Are
In ancient Chinese dynasties, clothing was a symbol of status and could distinguish a person’s rank in the society. The dragon robes are a Chinese imperial clothing embroidered with dragons and vibrant patterns.
This practice of having dragons
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The dragon robes were of different variations, each appropriate for occasions such as feasts and ceremonies.
Features of Dragon Robes
The dragon robes were made of silk and featured a simple design with a circular neck opening, long sleeves and swept to the ankles. The intricate fabric and rich decorations compensated its basic construction.
The main feature of the imperial clothing was the dragon, which appeared boldly on the front. The robe also contained other smaller dragons on the sleeves or the hems. The dragons were surrounded lively patterns such as clouds, waves or natural scenes.
The distinct dragon robes worn in the emperor’s circle signified the rank of the individuals who wore them. The emperor and his sons wore robes that featured a five-clawed dragon. Lower ranked princes and nobles wore robes that featured a four-clawed dragon. A three-clawed dragon featured on the robes of official who ranked even lower.
History of Imperial Dressing in Chinese Dynasties
The Xia (2070 BC-1600 BC) and Zhou (1046 BC-249 BC) Dynasties
The dragon robes were not always yellow in color and varied from one dynasty to another. For instance, in both the Xia and Zhou dynasties, the dragon robes were black in
robe, which covers him all the way down to his feet, and a cape with a large,
There are little to no direct accounts of how individuals’ lives were a couple thousand years ago in Ancient China. With a wealth of information on the rise, decline, and fall of empires, Michael Loewe, a sinologist who specializes in oriental studies and theology, writes an imaginary story about a hero named Bing set around 70 BCE. Bing: From Farmer’s Son to Magistrate in Han China is Loewe’s fictional portrait of life during the Han Empire. It is by no means a comprehensive historical account of Han times, in fact, it was written with those readers who are not familiar with Chinese in mind, however through the life of Bing we can gage how the lives of laborers, those involved in military service, merchants, and government officials might
There is a great art that can be found in being able to describe the world of an ancient civilization. Especially in one where large man made walls form because of the creases of a sleeping dragon’s back, or that the layout of the fields and streams of a small village create the image of a galloping unicorn when looked from up above. Yet, this is Imperial China, or as Barry Hughhart writes in his Novel Bridge of Birds, “an Ancient China that Never Was” (Hughhart 1984). This novel explores the history and the world of Ancient China, and the tales of the people who have walked across the land. Offering a summary of the book, we will be able to analyze
Dragons lie in the realm of fantasy; legendary creatures who are deeply rooted in magic and have captivated audiences for centuries. The depiction
The First Emperor’s Army: An Important Chinese Find. Archaeology. Volume 28, No. 4 (pp. 267-269)
(6) During the Yuan dynasty, the years of Confucian rule was overturned by the Mongolian rulers. For...
Being able to possess ancient dynasty objects has been seen as a sign of the legitimate ruler. Qianlong as the commissioner and the subject of this painting, intentionally representing himself of Han Chinese culture seems to communicate one message to the viewers just as what he once expressed about himself: ‘I, having grown up in the court and studied for twenty years, am in reality a scholar.’ Therefore, him, as the emperor, understands, protects and restores Han Chinese culture, and possesses the true treasures of Chinese culture, is the ultimate ruler of China.
Chinese culture has been evolving for more than one thousand years with one of the most significant influences being the development of the Han dynasty. This paper analyses the ways in which the development of the Han dynasty influenced Chinese culture, to what extent, and why. Knowledge of the Han period’s impact on Chinese culture, is obtained through the analysis of written and archaeological sources depicting the Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.–9 A.D) and Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 A.D).
entertainment. There are many precedents for dragons in medieval literature, two of the most prominent
Warner, Marina. The Dragon Empress: Life and times of Tz'u-hsi, 1835-1908, Empress Dowager of China. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1972.
"Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang." Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014. .
Dragons What’s the first thing people think when they hear the word “dragon?” Most Americans and Europeans probably envision a huge, scaly green beast, one that sits on a hoard of golden treasures and breathes fire. Asians are more likely to think of a benevolent snake-like creature, one that controls rains and rivers. And some people will think of the dragons in movies, or in books, which come in innumerable shapes, sizes, and dispositions.
Unlike western mythology the dragon in Chinese legends is not considered as an evil creature, they do not bring death nor despair. Instead of being associated with hellfire, they are believed to be associated with water, having natural control over water, rain, floods, and hurricanes. A pleased dragons would bring a rainfall for harvest or unlike an angered one could muster up devastating weather. They weren't thought to be demons, but as deities of rain, to bring protection from fire.
...ca. He usually wore a simple robe made out of wool over a grey, brown, or black cloak. Only on feast days did he wear magnificent robes out of white wool with red fringe, adorned with precious stones. He wore a silver crescent around his neck, bracelets all up his arm, and a gold tiara (Baudin, 1961, 137).
The governmental structure of the Chinese dynasties evolved with each changing regime. Even the title of king, as was called in the beginning, changed to emperor because it was not grand enough. Each dynasty had the king or emperor as the head of its government. They had supreme power over the economy, government, military, and religious beliefs of the country. The empires used a centralized bureaucracy that had overall control over the country. They learned vast amount from this form of government, each reign modified its structure accordingly, ranging from very strict to almost a hands-off approach. It was not replaced with any other form government; it simply evolved into what was suitable for each period. As the country expanded and became too vast for one man to rule, a feudal system was created, similar to the ones in ancien...