Tongtianguanfu () is a form of court attire in
hanfu
''Hanfu'' () is the traditional styles of clothing worn by the Han Chinese. There are several representative styles of ''hanfu'', such as the (an upper-body garment with a long outer skirt), the (an upper-body garment with a long underskirt ...
which was worn by the Emperor during the
Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
on very important occasions, such as grand court sessions and during major title-granting ceremonies.
It was also worn in the
Jin dynasty Emperors when the apparel system of the Song dynasty was imitated and formed their own carriages and apparel system,
and in the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
. The tongtianguanfu was composed of a red outer robe, a white inner robe, a
bixi
Bixi, or Bi Xi (), is a figure from Chinese mythology. One of the 9 sons of the dragon, 9 sons of the Dragon King, he is depicted as a Chinese dragon, dragon with the shell of a turtle. Stone Chinese sculpture, sculptures of Bixi have been used ...
, and a
guan
Guan may refer to:
* Guan (surname), several similar Chinese surnames
** Guān, Chinese surname
* Guan (state), ancient Chinese city-state
* Guan (bird), any of a number of bird species of the family Cracidae, of South and Central America
* Guan ( ...
called tongtianguan, and a neck accessory called fangxin quling.
Terminology
The term ''tongtian'' means "direct links with heaven".
Composition and construction
The ''tongtianguanfu'' is composed of:
The gauze outer robe (
paofu
(), also known as () for short, is a form of a long, one-piece robe in , which is characterized by the natural integration of the upper and lower part of the robe which is cut from a single fabric. The term is often used to refer to the and the ...
), called ''jiangshapao'' ().
It was crimson in colour with patterns of clouds and dragons embroidery which was gold and red in colours.
There were black borders stitched to the collar, sleeves, lapels and hems of the crimson outer robe.
The crimson outer robe was worn with a red gauze skirt and a crimson
bixi
Bixi, or Bi Xi (), is a figure from Chinese mythology. One of the 9 sons of the dragon, 9 sons of the Dragon King, he is depicted as a Chinese dragon, dragon with the shell of a turtle. Stone Chinese sculpture, sculptures of Bixi have been used ...
(, knee cover) was fastened around the waist of its wearer.
The inner garment was a white robe ().
The high
crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
was called ''tongtianguan'' (
), which was also known as ''chengtianguan'' ().
The ''tongtianguan'' was exclusively worn by the Emperor during some grand ceremonies.
The high crown was pinned on the hair with hairpins made of jade or rhinoceros horn.
The tongtianguan of the Emperor had 24 beams.
A pendant-like ornament called ''fangxin quling'' () was hung around the neck.
The ''fangxin quling'' was a notable feature in the ceremonial court attire of the Song and Ming dynasties.
It was made out of silk and was cut into a circle (which hung around the neck and shoulder areas) and a square (either solid or open square) which would fall over the cross-collared lapels of the paofu.
The shape of the circle and square symbolized the Heaven and earth respectively.
A belt with ribbons was also tied to the waist.
As footwear, the Emperor would have worn white stockings and black shoes.
Gujin Tushu Jicheng
The ''Gujin Tushu Jicheng'' (), also known as the ''Imperial Encyclopaedia'', is a vast encyclopedic work written in China during the reigns of the Qing dynasty emperors Kangxi and Yongzheng. It was begun in 1700 and completed in 1725. The work w ...
.''
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Ceremonial Usages - pic354 - 絳紗袍.svg, Crimson robe (絳紗袍) from the ''Gujin Tushu Jicheng
The ''Gujin Tushu Jicheng'' (), also known as the ''Imperial Encyclopaedia'', is a vast encyclopedic work written in China during the reigns of the Qing dynasty emperors Kangxi and Yongzheng. It was begun in 1700 and completed in 1725. The work w ...
.''
File:Imperial Encyclopaedia - Ceremonial Usages - pic391 - 方心曲領.png, Fangxin quling (方心曲領) from the ''Gujin Tushu Jicheng
The ''Gujin Tushu Jicheng'' (), also known as the ''Imperial Encyclopaedia'', is a vast encyclopedic work written in China during the reigns of the Qing dynasty emperors Kangxi and Yongzheng. It was begun in 1700 and completed in 1725. The work w ...
.''
See also
*
Hanfu
''Hanfu'' () is the traditional styles of clothing worn by the Han Chinese. There are several representative styles of ''hanfu'', such as the (an upper-body garment with a long outer skirt), the (an upper-body garment with a long underskirt ...
*
List of Hanfu
A list of Hanfu, the historical clothing of the Han Chinese, in category of different clothing style. This page also addresses provides a list of garments. Informal wear
Types include tops and bottoms, long skirt, and one-piece robes that wrap a ...
References
Chinese traditional clothing
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