Ancient depiction of the emperor's dress

According to the Song Dynasty, "Shangshu - Yiji" contained, the emperor wore the dress for the twelve chapters of the dress, "the sun, the moon, the stars, mountains, dragons, Chinese insects for painting, Zongyi, algae, fire, powdered rice,黼(fu, black and white such as an axe-shaped pattern), 黻(fu, a pair of each other back to back, the left is right, right reverse of the bow-shaped pattern), to the five-color recognition of the application of the five-color for the dress. "

China's crown system was initially established in the Xia and Shang dynasties, to the Zhou Dynasty was perfected. Western Zhou Dynasty, the hierarchy is gradually determined after the "non-people shall not serve its width" of the crown system has been adapted to the social class. And to the Spring and Autumn and the turn of the Warring States was incorporated into the rule of etiquette. The royal family ministers to show dignity and majesty, in different ceremonial occasions, the top of the crown should be both coronet order. Wearing clothes and clothing must also be used in different forms, colors and patterns.

Chinese people talk about the dragon, in addition to colorful dragon folklore, but also talk about a special dress - dragon robe. It has long been a symbol of Chinese imperial power and an integral part of Chinese dragon culture. In fact, the designation of the dragon robe as the emperor's formal attire doesn't have too long a history, originating from the Ming Dynasty 600 years ago.

Before the Ming Dynasty, Chinese emperors also wore "dragon robes", but they were distinctly different from the later ones.

First, look at the pre-Qin dragon pattern, the image is relatively simple and rugged, most of the limbs and claws, similar to reptiles. Qin and Han period of the dragon pattern, more beast-shaped, limbs and claws, but no scale armor, often painted as walking, giving a person a feeling of emptiness, not at all like today's familiar with the dragon robe.

The second, but also the most important, before the Ming Dynasty, although the dragon dress is a symbol of authority, but may not be the emperor of a person's "patent", the other nobles can also wear the so-called "dragon robe".

The sun and the moon are located in the shoulder area, generally the left sun and right moon, red sun and white moon. The sun is often painted in the golden crow, which is the general pattern of the sun after the Han Dynasty, from the "sun in the crow", "Houyi shoot the sun" and a series of myths and legends. And the moon is often painted in the toad or white rabbit, which is the general pattern of the moon after the Han Dynasty, from the "Chang'e to the moon" and other beautiful myths and legends.

So far, there is no archaeological evidence that the emperors before the Ming Dynasty had exclusive dragon robes. For example, every emperor of the Yuan Dynasty had life portraits of them in simple clothing, none of which was accompanied by a dragon robe. However, although there was no reinforcement of the idea of the dragon robe, there were former emperors who had dragon garments as their formal attire. In the novels of the Song and Yuan dynasties, the term dragon robe was already used.

Expanded:

The production process of the dragon robe

The empty space of the dragon robe is generally chu-yellow, the dragon robe and embroidered with 9 dragons, between the five-color clouds. Collar before and after the front and rear of the main dragon each 1, knee left, right, front, back and cross lapel at the line of dragons each 1, sleeve end of the main dragon each 1.

Dragon robe is not exclusively for the emperor to wear, the county king and above can wear, just can not use yellow, other officials can not wear, only to get the emperor's personal gift to wear, but in wearing must be "picked off a claw", to show the difference. In the Ming Dynasty, the reformed dragon robe, known as the python robe, became the Ming Dynasty officials regular clothes.

The color of the dragon robe is quite a study, and very strict, the Xia dynasty revered black, the Zhou dynasty revered red, the Qin dynasty revered black, the Han dynasty deduction week revered red. Sui Wen Di wore the dragon robe for the first time using yellow, followed by a long time to yellow for the most noble, it symbolizes the central, therefore, this trend has been extended down until the end of the feudal dynasty.

The color of the character pattern on the dragon robe consists of light moon white, magenta and blue, "bat" has vermilion, jujube red, reddish-red, reddish-red, incense color, bronze and several other colors. The "Ruyi head" is composed of bright blue, moon white, navy blue and two colors of aqua, peach red, jujube red and snow gray.

The workmanship of the dragon robe is divided into embroidery and woof, in which the woof process is relatively complex, and the process is called "connecting the warp and breaking the weft". This woof process has been passed down in China for a long time, the Song Dynasty is used for other decorations, to the Qing Dynasty is used for clothing, after the woof process consumes too long, so more for the dragon robe.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Dragon robe