Bianfu

A red Chinese ceremonial outfit
Bianfu
Ming dynasty emperor wearing pibianfu (皮弁服), a set of attire composed of pibian, a type of guan (headwear), and bianfu (garment)
TypeChinese red-coloured set of ceremonial attire in Hanfu
MaterialSilk
Place of originAt least the Zhou dynasty, China
Bianfu
Chinese弁服
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinbiànfú

Bianfu (Chinese: 弁服; pinyin: biànfú) is a historical set of attire in Hanfu consisting of a knee-length Chinese upper garment known as jiangshapao (Chinese: 绛纱袍) over a qun, a Chinese skirt, known as hongchang (Chinese: 红裳; lit. 'red skirt') or pair of ku-trousersalong with other accessories.[1][2] Coupled with the Chinese headwear known as pibian, the complete set of attire is also referred as pibianfu (Chinese: 皮弁服).[2] This set of attire was considered to be a ceremonial dress.[1] In the Zhou dynasty, the bianfu was only ranked-second after the mianfu and it was worn by the emperors when he would work on official business or when he would meet with the court officials.[3]

Construction and design

The upper garment known as jiangshapao (simplified Chinese: 绛纱袍; traditional Chinese: 絳紗袍) which was red in colour[2] and extended all the way to the knees.[1] This was typically worn over a red skirt known as hongchang (Chinese: 红裳; lit. 'red skirt') that reached the length of the ankles.[1] The wearing of a qun under an upper garment was only worn during formal occasions.[1] Over the hongchang, the wearer wore a red coloured bixi.[2] Under the red outer garments, an inner garment known as zhongdan (Chinese: 中单) was worn.[2] A yugui (Chinese: 玉圭; lit. 'jade tablet') would be held in its wearer's hands; it was further accessorized with yupei (Chinese: 玉佩), daxiaoshou (Chinese: 大小绶; a ribbon-like accessory), and the belt called dadai (simplified Chinese: 大带; traditional Chinese: 大帶).[2] The bian (Chinese: ), also known as pibian (Chinese: 皮弁), was a cylinder-shaped guan (headwear) that completed the outfit.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Lu, Yang. "Chinese Clothing - Five Thousand Years' History". Archived from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Dong, Jin; 董进. (2011). Q ban da Ming yi guan tu zhi (Di 1 ban ed.). Beijing Shi: Beijing you dian da xue chu ban she. ISBN 978-7-5635-2501-0. OCLC 828035990.
  3. ^ Feng, Ge (2015). Traditional Chinese rites and rituals. Zhengming Du. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4438-8783-0. OCLC 935642485.
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