Crown and Garment System of Tang Dynasty

Crown system is a symbol of the hierarchy of power in feudal society, as the spiritual pillar of the ruling class of feudal society, Confucianism, abide by the ancestors into law as the basis of loyalty and filial piety, emphasizing that the system of clothing must follow the ancient law, especially as a ceremonial dress of the sacrificial service and the court dress, can not be reneged on the legacy of the previous king, so called the legal service; it is a great conservatism and closure. The daily wear of the court is called the regular dress, which has the characteristics of the times.

The Tang Emperor Li Yuan (618-636 AD) promulgated new laws and decrees in the seventh year of Wude (624 AD), known as the "Wude Decree", which included laws and decrees on clothes, including the clothes of the Son of Heaven's clothes, 14, the Empress's clothes, three, the Crown Prince's clothes, six, the Crown Princess's clothes, three, the clothes of the ministers, 22, the clothes of the women, six, and the clothes of the women. The content is basically inherited from the old Sui Dynasty. The content of the basic inheritance of the old system of the Sui dynasty, the son of 14 kinds of clothing for the big fur coronet, gun coronet, phasianus coronet, cui liu coronet, linen coronet, xuan coronet, through the sky crown, vinyl crowns, WuBen, BenSu, black conical cap, white cap, flat scarf conical cap, white deck. The six kinds of costumes of the crown prince are the crown of gun, the crown of distant travel, the public dress, the cap of black sash, the bent suit, and the flat conical cap. The 22 kinds of clothing of the ministers have gun crown, phasianus crown, cuii crown, linen crown, xuan coronet, flat crown, jue coronet, wu ben, bent clothes, jinxian crown, far travel crown, law crown (haetai crown), gaoshan crown (side note crown), the commission appearance of the crown (and the same system as the leather bent), but the crown is not the crown, the flat scarf conical cap, the black conical cap, the conical cap, the flat scarf green conical cap, the clothes (court dress), from the province dress (public service), the wedding dress. According to the occasion of wearing clothes, the Tang Dynasty, the son of heaven's clothing can be divided into dress and regular clothes.

Which, the Tang dynasty son of God clothing, and can do the following classification: Coronet: big fur crown, gun coronet, phasianus coronet, Cui Cui coronet, embroidered coronet, Xuan coronet, collectively known as the six coronet. Crown: Tongtian crown, wing good crown (Li Shimin's own invention) Bent clothes: WuBen, Bent clothes (here refers to the leather Bent clothes) Conical cap: black conical cap, flat scarf conical cap Hat: white hat Big Fur Coronet, the highest specifications in the dress of the son of heaven, the most solemn one of the clothes, only in the son of heaven to worship the gods of the sky, the gods of the earth time to wear. As the name suggests, the "Big Fur Coronet" is wearing a "Big Fur" and a "Coronet" on his head.

The Old Tang Dynasty Book of Public Opinions and Clothing records: "The big fur crown, no tassel, wide eight inches, a foot six inches long, Xuanqiu crimson, has been under the wide and narrow quasi-this. It was decorated with gold and guided by jade hairpins, and the color of the tassel was like its ribbon. The fur was made of black lambskin, with a collar, cuffs, and lapel edges. The dresses were made of white yarn, with an alonzo collar, a green border, a green train, a leather belt, a jade hook, an arrow, a large belt, a plain belt, a blue belt, a green belt on top, and a green belt on the bottom, and a group for the buttons. Lacquer with the dress. Deer Lu jade sword, fire pearl dart head. White jade double pendant, Xuan group double large ribbon, six colors, Xuan, yellow, red, white, misty, green, pure XuanQi, two feet four feet long, five hundred head, one foot wide. Small double ribbons two feet one inch long, the same color as the big ribbons and half of the first, between the three jade rings. Vermilion stockings, red slippers. It was worn when sacrificing to the gods and goddesses of heaven and earth."

The large fur crown was soon abolished because it was not very practical, and although it was still retained in the decree text, in practice, Tang emperors rarely wore it. The Tang Clothing Order was first enacted at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, implemented in the fourth year of the Wude period (621 A.D.), and the Great Fur Coronet was abolished in the first year of the Xianqing period (656 A.D.), a gap of only 35 short years. In the Tang Dynasty nearly three hundred years of history, this 35 years seems too fast, although the big fur crown according to the Zhou rituals, according to the ancient system, the quality of the ancient and simple, but because of its lack of practicality, not enough beautiful and was abolished, and replaced by the gorgeous gun coronet.

Coronation, in the Emperor's many dresses in the second place, second only to the big Fur Coronet. The sacrifices and temple (all kinds of sacrifices and worship temple),遣上将, levy also, drink to (celebration feast), step on the door (throne), plus yuan dress (crown ceremony), Na Hou (enthronement of the queen), if the first day of yuan by the dynasty (the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the great dynasty), the time to wear. Xianqing yuan, Comrade Li Zhi listened to the advice of Changsun Wuji, modify the ritual order, abolition of the big Fur Coronet, change to wear the Gun Coronet, since then, the sacrifice of heaven and earth, the emperor is also wearing the Gun Coronet.

According to the "Old Tang Dynasty Book ﹒ Opinions and Clothing Zhi" in the record: "the coronet, gold ornaments, hanging white beads twelve tassels to group for the tassel, the color of its ribbons, a yellow floss filled ears, jade hairpin guide. Xuan Yi, crimson dress, twelve chapters, eight chapters in the clothes, the sun, the moon, the stars, dragons, mountains, Chinese insects, fire, Zong Yi; four chapters in the dress, algae, powdered rice, embroidery, 黻, clothing cuffs, collars for the ascending dragon, weaving into the also. Each for six and so on, the dragon, the mountain below, each chapter a line, twelve. White yarn in a single, embroidery collar, green cuffs, cushion, train, 黻. Embroidered dragon, mountain, fire three chapters, the rest as above. Leather belt, big belt, sword, pai, ribbon are the same as above. Slippers with gold ornaments. All the sacrifices and temples, sending the generals, the conquest, drinking to, trampling the steps, adding the Yuan suit, Na Hou, if the Yuan day to receive the dynasty, then the suit."

Coronation, coronation with gold ornaments, hanging white jade beads string twelve tassels (please note that the coronation of the coronation dress on the coronation is tasseled), to group for the tassel, the color is the same as the color of the ribbon (black), the yellow sheep made of small balls. It is suspended above the crown and hangs down by the two ears to show that one does not want to hear right and wrong, and is guided by a jade hairpin. Black, light red garment, twelve chapter patterns, the upper garment has eight chapters: sun, moon, stars, dragons, mountains, Chinese insects, fire, zongyi; the skirt is embroidered with four kinds of chapter patterns: algae, powdered rice, embroidery, 黻; the cuffs and collars of the garment are embroidered with the chapter pattern of the ascending dragon. (twelve chapter pattern, the sun, the moon, the stars were drawn in the clothes of the left and right shoulders and the back under the collar, implying that the son of heaven shoulders the sun and the moon, the back of the seven stars) twelve chapter pattern, the dragon, the mountain and its after the chapter pattern, each kind of line, a line of twelve. Inside the white gauze in a single, embroidery collar (embroidery, twelve chapters of a pattern, black and white collar), green cuffs, edge of the garment, lapel, and embroidered with 黻纹 (黻, twelve chapters of a pattern, green and black pattern). On the kneepad (the knee), there are three chapters of dragon, mountain and fire, and other accessories, such as the leather belt, the big belt, the sword, the pendant and the ribbon, are all the same as those of the big fur coronet. The slipper is decorated with gold. The wear occasions of gun coronet is more, in the emperor of many dress belongs to the most gorgeous, the highest rate of upper body. Wearing occasions: all sacrifices and temples (all kinds of sacrifices and worship temples), send generals, levies also, drink to (celebration feast), step on the door (the throne to the throne), plus the yuan dress (crown ceremony), after the Na, if the yuan day by the dynasty (the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the great dynasty), the time to wear. Xianqing yuan, Li Zhi modified the ritual order, abolition of the big Jiu Coronet, change to wear the Coronet, since then, sacrifices to the heavens and the earth, the emperor is also wearing the Coronet.

The regular clothes , is the highest rate of uptake in the many costumes of the son of heaven in the Tang Dynasty. Regular clothes, that is, the body wearing a narrow-sleeved, round-necked robe, is very homely, civilian, grounded clothing, up to the son of heaven, down to the people, usually can wear, but the reddish-yellow robe can only be worn by the emperor, and then with a folded on the headscarf, the nine-ringed belt, the six boots, with a set of. Since the Zhenguan, in addition to the first day, the winter solstice by the dynasty and the great sacrifice, other occasions are only wearing regular clothes.

The Old Tang Book . The old Tang book. Public Apparel Zhi": "its regular clothes, red and yellow robes and shirts, folded on the turban, nine ring belt, six boots, all from Wei, Zhou, to facilitate the military affairs. Since the Zhenguan has been, non-yuan day, the winter solstice to receive the dynasty and the great sacrifice, all the regular clothes and their own."

"Wude early, due to the Sui old system, the Son of Heaven banquet clothes, also known as the regular clothes", the beginning of the time is only yellow robe shirt, and then gradually changed to reddish yellow, so the express provisions, the common people can not wear reddish yellow clothes. Since then, the red and yellow also became the emperor special color, but also gradually evolved into a symbol of imperial power. When Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, An Lushan claimed the title of Emperor and wore a reddish-yellow shirt. Five generations after the weekend year, Zhao Kuangyin in Chenqiao mutiny, the generals to give him a yellow robe, embraced the son of heaven, this is the "yellow robe" origin. Here refers to the reddish yellow, the other yellow, light yellow or something, is still the common people's clothing color, and did not prohibit. Tang Dynasty officials clothing can be roughly divided into two categories, one for the rituals and major political activities of the clothing (sacrificial clothing or court dress); a more ordinary work and social activities of the clothing (public or regular clothing).

Whatever from the sacrificial service and participate in major political activities of the court dress (also known as with clothing), the system is basically the same as in the Sui Dynasty, and the form of the Sui Dynasty than the more opulent and gorgeous; general occasions worn by the public service (also known as from the provincial service) and usually live in the life of the clothing of the regular clothes (also known as music service), has absorbed the North and South Dynasties in the region of China has been popular in the hu clothing, especially in Northwestern Xianbei people's clothing as well as Central Asia, some of the components of the national clothing, so that it is the most popular in the Central Asia. Some of the components of the national costume, so that the combination of traditional Chinese clothing, creating a new form of clothing with the characteristics of the Tang Dynasty. The lack of crotch robes, waistcoats, half-arms, jackets, pants, etc. are examples. The robe with a straight train and slits on the left and right, also known as the four-legged shirt, could be worn with a turban, leather belt, and long boot, and became the main form of clothing for men in the Tang Dynasty. " This style was easy to move around. Wide-sleeved, large-train style can show the dashing and luxurious style, called round-necked shirts, robes, from the emperor, down to the boy servant can wear. The turban, round collar, leather belt, and long leg boots were the matching style of clothing, which was passed down until the Ming Dynasty.

In short, the Tang dynasty, the officials of the standing suit (Note: standing suit can not be entered into the rituals and major pilgrimage) inherited the previous system, for the round neck robe, because the lower edge of the front and back lapel with a piece of whole cloth connected to a horizontal robe, it is called the round neck robe. In the early Tang Dynasty and the Sheng Tang Dynasty, narrow and tight straight-sleeved styles were popular under the influence of Hu fashion, and since the Hu style in the Middle and Late Tang Dynasties, the traditional wide clothes and big sleeves were popular. With the regular clothes supporting the first coat is turban, footwear for the leather hexagonal boots, ornaments have belt, fish (turtle) bag, and so on.

Tang Gaozu had stipulated that the ministers' regular clothes, from the Prince to the third rank, should be made of purple dako (large group of flowers) damask, and the belt should be made of jade belt hooks. Above the fifth grade with vermilion small section (small group of flowers) made of damask, belt with grass gold hooks. The sixth grade is made of yellow (lemon yellow) double-kushiki (geometric pattern) damask, and the belt is made with rhinoceros hooks. Seventh grade made of green tortoise shell, double giant, ten flowers (all geometric patterns) damask, with a silver belt (ring buckle) Ninth grade made of green silk cloth mixed damask, belt with Yu Shi belt hooks. Tang Taizong Li Shimin (A.D. 627 to 649) period, the four sides of the calm, the country is prosperous, he proposed to lay down the military to repair the culture, advocate the rule of literature, give the ministers into the virtue of the crown, the color of the permanent clothing of the officials and made more detailed provisions. According to the "New Tang Book - car service records", more than three items of robes and shirts purple, bundled with gold and jade belt, thirteen quail (mounted on the belt hanging mincing with the band, and decorative role). Fourth-grade robes deep scarlet, gold belt eleven quintals. Fifth-grade robe light scarlet, gold belt ten. Sixth-grade robe dark green, silver belt nine. Seventh-grade robe light green, silver belt nine. The eighth-grade robes were dark green, the ninth-grade robes were light green, and the jade stone belt was eight quills. Stream of foreign officials and the common people's clothing yellow, copper and iron belt seven quintals (General Chapter of the first year and prohibit the stream of foreign officials and the common people's clothing yellow, have seen above). Tang Emperor Longshuo two years (A.D. 662) for fear of eight robes and clothing dark green messy purple (ancient indigo with multiple dipping and dyeing of dark green red light, so I'm afraid of mixing with purple), changed to turquoise. Since the Spring and Autumn Period, Duke Huan of Qi (685 BC to 643 years before the reign of) wearing purple robes to start, to determine the purple for the top of the clothing color pattern, to the Song and Yuan has not changed. It was only in the Ming Dynasty that it was replaced by the color red.

By the time of the Sui and Tang dynasties, the most obvious feature of Chinese dress was the two-track system. On big ceremonial occasions, traditional Han Chinese clothes were worn. In normal times, the regular dress of the Tang Dynasty was the hu (i.e., Xianbei dress) system. Tang Dynasty national unification, economic prosperity, the shape of the system is more open, the more ornate dress. In the six years of Emperor Yang's Daye (610) only provides that "more than five products with purple robes, six products with scarlet and green". To the Tang Dynasty in order to further consolidate the norms of etiquette, the development of a detailed format of the law. The difference in rank is mainly reflected in two aspects: color system and chapter clothing system.

(1) color system (and belt system):

Color system to officials scattered officials of different grades and with different colors, textures, patterns of the system of official clothing (and belt ornaments regulations)

Wudu four years (621) to develop a preliminary norms of the regular dress, the August edicts: "more than three grades, the big Section Communicator damask and ropes, the color of purple, decorated with jade. The color is purple, decorated with jade. Above five grades, small section of communicators and Luo, its color Zhu, decorated with gold. Above six grades (below), the Communicators were made of silk cloth, mixed with small damasks, interlaced with shuttle, and double-communicated, and their color was yellow. Sixth grade and seventh grade are decorated with silver. The eighth and ninth grade are obscene stones."

Secondly, in the fourth year of the Zhenguan period (630), an edict was issued to amend the law: "The third grade and above served purple, the fourth and fifth grade and above served scarlet, the sixth and seventh grades were green, and the eighth and ninth grades were green. Women from the husband's color. Still through the service yellow."

Zhenguan five years (631) Edicts seven products above the service of tortoise shell double giant ten flowers damask, its color green. Ninth grade above the service silk cloth and miscellaneous small damask, its color green.

Shangyuan yuan year (674) edict: "a grade below the civil officials, and with handkerchiefs, counting bags, knives, whetstone. Its military officials, want to bring hand towels, counting bag also listen. Civilian and military officials above the third grade service purple, gold and jade belt. The fourth grade service deep scarlet, gold belt. Fifth grade service light scarlet, gold belt. Sixth-grade officers served in dark green, seventh-grade officers served in light green, and silver belts. The 8th grade is in dark green, the 9th grade is in light green, and there are Onggi belts."

This was the basis of the Tang Dynasty's color system. Later emperors only adjusted it in time -

In the first year of the civilization (684), the green color of the eighth and ninth grades was changed to turquoise (because the green cloth was dyed with indigo several times and the resulting dark green had a reddish tint, making it easy to mix it with purple).

Jingyun year (710-711): "Above the ninth grade and below the first grade, civil and military officers followed the story of Shangyuan, with handkerchiefs and counting bags. Military officials salty with seven things Wei x (x generation of ancient characters can not be entered, the character shape of the ultimatum), and feet. Their belts, one product below five products above, and with gold. Six products seven products and use silver. Eight and nine products*** use Onggi."

Taihe Sixth Year (832) of the Right Servant Wang Yaizi edict: "Prince and more than three, if the two queens, the service color with purple, decorated with jade. Above the fifth grade, the dress color with Zhu, decorated with gold. Above the seventh grade, the service color with green, decorated with silver. Above the 9th rank, the color is green and decorated with Onggi. The green and green people are those who have completed their official duties and those who have received real pay, and those who have used their honorary positions and titles, and those who have been appointed to the ranks, are still wearing swords, handkerchiefs, and other handkerchiefs. Stream outside the official and the common people dress color with yellow, decorated with copper and iron. The relatives of the banquet costumes, according to the permitted products, the Department of a product, the second grade Xu service jade and rhinoceros, the third grade Xu service flower rhinoceros and class rhinoceros and jade, and the service of the green and blue, Xu through the service of the green." At the same time, the pattern system is further standardized: "more than three products are allowed to serve migratory birds, geese and ribbons, and the peacock damask robe and jacket. Four products five products, allowed to serve yellow cross-branch damask. Sixth grade below the standing officer, allowed to serve small group of areole damask, and no pattern damask, interweaving alone, etc.. In addition to this color, there should be strange text different system robe and jacket damask, and prohibited."

In summary, the color from high to low in order: purple - scarlet - green - green (later changed to blue).

The colors of the belts, in descending order, were: jade - gold - silver - Onggi.

As for the yellow color, before the Tang Dynasty, the yellow color could be worn at the top and bottom, such as the yellow color of the soldiers in the Sui Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, the color of red and yellow was similar to the color of the sun, and the sun was a symbol of the emperor's dignity, "There are two suns in heaven, and two kings in the country." Therefore, the red and yellow (ochre), except for the emperor, the subjects shall not be unauthorized to use. The ochre yellow color was specified as the color for the emperor's regular clothes. Tang Gaozong Li Zhi (650 to 683 A.D.) at the beginning of the flow of foreign officials and the common people can wear general yellow (such as color light cold lemon yellow, etc.), to the Tang Gaozong in the middle of the General Chapter of the first year (668 A.D.), fear of yellow and ochre yellow mixed, the officials and the people are forbidden to wear yellow. Since then yellow has been a symbol of the emperor.

After Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, the purple color for the third-grade officer's uniform; light scarlet for the fifth-grade officer's uniform, dark green for the sixth-grade officer's uniform, light green for the seventh-grade officer's uniform, dark green for the eighth-grade officer's uniform, light green for the ninth-grade officer's uniform, yellow for the outside of the palace and the common people's uniform. Tang clothing also has a great influence on neighboring countries. For example, Japan and obedience to the color greatly absorbed the essence of the Tang costume, the Korean costume also inherited from the form of the strengths of the Tang costume. Tang jacket 襦skirt line soft long, very beautiful and comfortable, the material is mainly silk fabrics, so its clothing to "soft" and "soft" known. Tang clothing itself more categories, good changes, from the shape to the decoration are boldly absorbed foreign dress characteristics, more to Central Asia, India, Iran, Persia and the north and the western region of the foreign dress as a reference to enrich the Tang dress culture, so that the Tang dress rich and colorful and magnificent, unique and bizarre and colorful style, become a piece of Chinese historical clothing, the world's attention.

The Tang costume pattern, changed the previous kind of creative ideas with the gift of God, with real flowers, grass, fish, insects for sketching, but the traditional dragon, phoenix pattern has not been excluded, which is also determined by the influence of the divine right of the emperor. At this time, the design of dress patterns tended to show a free, plump and fat artistic style. Late Tang Dynasty dress pattern is more delicate and beautiful. Flower and bird dress pattern, border pattern, group flower dress pattern in the silk gauze on the soft clothing, is really flowery, compete with each other. As the five generations of Wang Jian said: Luo shirt leaf leaves embroidered heavy, gold phoenix silver goose each a bush, each dance two directions, the word of peace in the middle of long live. Today, we see these gorgeous and beautiful dress patterns, is the painters in the Dunhuang Grottoes with hard labor for future generations to retain the precious image of the information. The development of the Tang Dynasty clothing is the overall development, the design of the dress pattern tends to express the freedom, fullness, gorgeous, rounded, in shoes, hats, scarves, jade pendant, hairstyle, make-up, jewelry performance, are illustrated in this feature.　　The Tang Dynasty inherited the styles of the Zhou, Warring States and Wei and Jin Dynasties, integrating the rigor of the Zhou Dynasty's dress pattern design, the stretch of the Warring States Period, the brightness of the Han Dynasty, and the elegance of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and becoming more flamboyant on the basis of which the dress and dress pattern reached a historical peak; the influence of the Tang Dynasty's dress and dress pattern on the future generations has been carried on to the present day. The use of twining branch pattern in modern dress pattern demonstrates the implication generated by the combination of traditional pattern and modern aesthetic sense.

It is worth mentioning that the color system of clothing prescribed by the Tang government was not thoroughly implemented in real life. In May of the fifth year of Tang Emperor Xianheng (i.e., the first year of the first year of the first year, 674 A.D.), a ban was enacted again because of the fact that officials and people in the outside world wore short shirts and jackets of vermilion, purple, green and green colors within their robes and shirts or wore robes and shirts of these colors openly in the countryside.

(2) chapter clothing system:

Chapter clothing system is a product of the development of regular clothing to a certain stage, is the official with the fish (turtle) bag system. The Old Tang Book of Public Opinion Clothing Zhi: "Since then (Kaiyuan nine years 721), the system of rewarding scarlet and purple, the example of the fish bag, known as the chapter of clothing." The purpose of the accompanying fish, one is to use it as a credentials of the king should be seen, and the second is used to clarify the inferiority and superiority, strict internal and external.

People wear fish since the Sui Dynasty has been the first form, in the Tang Dynasty has undergone some interesting changes:

Emperor Gaozu in the first year of the Wudu (618) to change the previous silver young charm for the silver fish charm. Although the fish bag was allotted to the fourth and fifth grade officials, it had to be returned after retiring from the body. Three years later, Emperor Gaozong humanized it and adjusted it so that those who died of a death of a prince of more than five ranks were not required to recover the fish bag. Xianheng three years (672) to make the Beijing officials of the fourth grade and fifth grade officials to wear silver fish. Wu Hou period will be extended to the local prefects, and the first year of Tianzhu (690) to change the internal and external fish and tortoise (because Xuanwu and the Wu family name), and for the first time to provide for the third grade and above the tortoise bag decorated with gold, silver for the fourth grade, the fifth grade with copper.

The Zhongzong period and restore the system of fish, but with the abuse of official position synchronization, began to let the scattered officials to wear fish, but not formally connected to the fish bag and the color of the regular clothes, and go to the office that is removed from the fish bag. Ruizong will be the system of the fish bag and regular clothing color: "purple with gold, scarlet with silver."

Xuanzong, the scope of the fish, and then allowed to wear fish for life: "the beginning of the new year, attached to the horse lieutenant from the fifth grade fake purple, gold fish bag, governor, assassin of the inferior grade fake scarlet, fish bag, more than five grades of the inspection school, test, judge are wearing fish. Zhang Jiachen, the Chinese official who was sentenced to a life of fish, since the hundred officials to reward the scarlet and purple, must be accompanied by a fish bag, known as the chapter clothing." -- chapter clothing system to this point perfect and clear.

After the institutionalization of chapter clothing, officials please scarlet, purple clothing, must be strictly examined by the court, and based on the specific situation of the officials are treated differently, enough to qualify for the award. In addition, the late Tang for the award of the chapter of the confusion of the situation, and further from the system to regulate. Tang Dynasty crown system in the implementation of the Wude order, but also in the continuous modification and improvement, it inherited the tradition of Zhou and Han, from the clothing package, clothing materials, decorative colors and other aspects of the formation of a complete series.