The ''magua'' (
Manchu
The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and ...
: ''olbo,'' ) was a style of jacket worn by males during the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
(1644–1911), designed to be worn together with and over the ''
manshi changshan'' () as part of the
Qizhuang
(), also known as () and commonly referred as Manchu clothing in English, is the traditional clothing of the Manchu people. in the broad sense refers to the clothing system of the Manchu people, which includes their whole system of attire us ...
. Magua is at waist length, with five disc buttons on the front and slightly short, wide sleeves. The garment was available in a number of styles: singlet (), clip (), leather (), cotton yarn (), quilted () and others. It was worn by
Manchu people
The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and Q ...
throughout China from the reign of the Qing
Shunzhi Emperor
The Shunzhi Emperor (15 March 1638 – 5 February 1661) was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Qing dynasty of China, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1644 to 1661. A Deliberative Council of Prince ...
(r. 1643–1661) until the time of the
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...
, (r. 1661–1722), whence it became popular throughout Qing China.
Rendered literally in English as "riding jacket", the magua had its origins as a simple
tabard
A tabard is a type of short coat that was commonly worn by men during the late Middle Ages and early modern period in Europe. Generally worn outdoors, the coat was either sleeveless or had short sleeves or shoulder pieces. In its more developed ...
-like item of clothing intended to protect the
changshan
(; ), also known as (), and (), is a form of , Chinese robe, which was derived from the Qing dynasty , the traditional dress of the Manchu people, which were worn by Manchu men. The was actually developed by the Han Chinese through the modi ...
during riding and normal everyday activities. However, with time the magua itself became more elaborate, becoming for officials part of their uniform of office; one variation of the magua, the
imperial yellow jacket
The imperial yellow jacket () was a symbol of high honour during China's Qing dynasty. As yellow was a forbidden color, representing the Emperor, the jacket was given only to high-ranking officials and to the Emperor's body guards.
Wearing the ja ...
, becoming an indication of Imperial approval of an individual.
The magua is considered the predecessor of the
basalm jacket (, ''fèngxiān zhuāng'') and the
tangzhuang
Tangzhuang (), sometimes called Tang suit, is a kind of Chinese jacket with Manchu origins and Han influences, characterized with a mandarin collar closing at the front with frog buttons. It is an updated form of the Qing magua, itself a more fas ...
.
In Chinese culture
Tujia minority
Tujia is one of the 56 recognized ethnic groups in China. Both men and women mainly wear skirts and jackets, favoring colors such as black and blue. After the 1730s, men and women started to wear clothes that would help differentiate their gender.
The magua, buttoned at the center front, is worn by men over the blue long robe. It can be worn formally in black or informally in colors of red, green or gray, with wide trousers usually in a different color, often white. Men would tie sashes around their waist band to help them carry tools or accessories and wear white or black turbans. Women, on the other hand, wore wide short sleeved, long gowns that button on the left side, with decorative elements at the edge of the sleeves and the collar, accompanied with a ''bafu luoqun (''or skirt of eight widths) made of red and black checked silk, embroidered with flowers or other designs.
Magua is also associated with social status, as men tried to incorporate the dress etiquettes from the Han period. The magua is accompanied by fur coats, silk gowns and skull caps. By the early 1950s, the popularity of the style decreased.
Types of Magua
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Huang magua (yellow magua)
Regional variations
Burmese ''taikpon''
![U Nu and Dwight Eisenhower](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/U_Nu_and_Dwight_Eisenhower.PNG)
The ''taikpon eingyi'' (), a
traditional
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
jacket for
Burmese men, is a descendant of the ''magua''.
This costume began to gain currency during the late
Konbaung dynasty
The Konbaung dynasty ( my, ကုန်းဘောင်ခေတ်, ), also known as Third Burmese Empire (တတိယမြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်) and formerly known as the Alompra dynasty (အလောင်းဘ ...
and became a requisite article of traditional formal attire during the colonial era.
Korean ''magoja''
The ''
magoja
The magoja is a type of long jacket worn with hanbok, the traditional clothing of Korea, and is usually worn on top of the ''jeogori'' (short jacket). It is also called ''magwae'' and while it was originally a male garment, it is now considered a u ...
'', a type of long jacket worn with ''
hanbok
The (; term used in South Korean standard language, South Korea), also called ()
n North Korean standard language, North Korea and China, is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term which is used to refer to traditional ethnic Koreans, Korean ...
'', the traditional clothing of Korea, is a descendant of the ''magua'', having been introduced to Koreans after
Heungseon Daewongun
Heungseon Daewongun (흥선대원군, 興宣大院君, 21 December 1820 – 22 February 1898; ), also known as the Daewongun (대원군, 大院君), Guktaegong (국태공, 國太公, "The Great Archduke") or formally Internal King Heungseon Heon ...
, father of
King Gojong, returned from political exile in
Manchuria
Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...
in 1887.
See also
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Qizhuang
(), also known as () and commonly referred as Manchu clothing in English, is the traditional clothing of the Manchu people. in the broad sense refers to the clothing system of the Manchu people, which includes their whole system of attire us ...
- Manchu clothing
*
Burmese clothing
Clothing in Myanmar varies depending on the ethnicity, geography, climate and cultural traditions of the people of each region of Myanmar (Burma). The most widely recognized Burmese national costume is the '' longyi'', which is worn by both males ...
*
Cheongsam
''Cheongsam'' (, ), also known as the ''qipao'' () and sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the , the ethnic clothing of the Manchu people. The cheongsam is most often s ...
*
Chinese clothing
Chinese clothing includes both the traditional hanfu and modern variations of indigenous Chinese dress as recorded by the artifacts and some traditional arts of Chinese culture. Chinese clothing has been shaped through its dynastic traditions, as ...
*
Tangzhuang
Tangzhuang (), sometimes called Tang suit, is a kind of Chinese jacket with Manchu origins and Han influences, characterized with a mandarin collar closing at the front with frog buttons. It is an updated form of the Qing magua, itself a more fas ...
References
{{Burmese clothing, state=expanded
Jackets
Qing clothing
Burmese clothing
17th-century fashion
18th-century fashion
19th-century fashion
20th-century fashion
21st-century fashion