Figure 1.--This wondeful Chinese textile must have been made for a Chinese Emperor as it was done in yellow. I'm not sure how to date this one.

One of the most famous Chinese garments were the dragon which came to symbolize the unity of the Chinese people. The dragon first appeared in Chinese art abbout 4000 BC and was used as totem in both northern and southern areas of what was to become China. Early dragon images looked like snakes, but gradually over time the image became more detailed with the addition of crocodile feet, a horse head, manes and tail, an ox ear, hare eyes, a tiger nose, fish scales and beard, dog legs, eagle talons, a deer antlers, and other facets. The dragon became the symbol of the emperor. People worshiped the dragon to beung favorable growing conditions, especially rain, for their crops. The dragon thus served as a symbol of harmony, the fundamental spirit of Chinese culture. It also symbolized the cohesive force of the Chinese nation. The dragon not only appeared on clothing, but in other aspects of cultural life such as dragon-lantern dances or dragon-boat races on various festivals. The Chinese cheongsam or popularily known as Mandarin qi pao, are often designed with the Chinese dragon and phoenix images, motifs or icons.

Chinese Cosmology

The ancient Chinese described the world in terms of five elements: earth, wood, fire, metal, and water. These basic elements were created by the interaction of two fundamental natural forces. Yang was the active force and Yin the inactive force. The Chinese conceived of all natural phenomena as being caused by the dynamic interaction of these five basic elements. These elements corresponded with the five terrestrial directions (east, south, west, north, and center).

Symbolism

The five colors (blue, red, white, black, and yellow), the animal deities (dragon, phoenix, tiger, tortoise, and snake), and the annual seasons (fall, spring, summer, and winter) were also used to symbolize the five directions in Chinese art and textiles. Chinese rulers used elaborate symbols and colors in an effort to achieve harmony between the natural and human worlds. There were also important rituals and ceremonies.

Colors

The five basic colors in Chinese cosmology were connected with the four elements of the earth and with activities that occurred while one was wearing a garment of that color. The Chinese assined a color to each direction and season. Colors had multiple meanings. Red for example was worn by a bride for her wedding. It also of course became associated with fire.
Yellow: Yellow was the color especilly associated with the emperor. Yellow symbolized the emperor and his role as the center of the Chinese universe. The earth was pictured at the center of the universe. Yello was chosen as symbolic of the color of the earth. Yellow was also used by mourners to bury dead relatives.
Red: Red was used for the most festive occasions, especially by brides on their wedding days. A Chinese folk legend involved the God of Marriage selected couples and tied their ankles together with invisible red silk threads. The bride nd groom in a Chinese wedding drink from cups tied together with a red cord. Red also symbolized the element of fire and was used to repesent the summer of life.
Black: Black and other dark colors ere used to symbolize winter. Black wa also used for the north and the element of water.
White: White symbolized the autumn of life and like yellow is worn for mourning. The color was associated with the west and the element of metal.
Blue: The color blue became associate with the element wood. It ws also asociated with the east. Blue was associated with spring. Green ws not a basic color. Blue was associated with green hues.

The dragon

One of the most important Chinese images was the dragon which came to symbolize the unity of the Chinese people. The dragon first appeared in Chinese art abbout 4000 BC and was used as totem in both northern and southern areas of wghat was to become China. Early dragon images looked like snakes, but gradually over time the image became more detailed with the addition of crocodile feet, a horse head, manes and tail, an ox ear, hare eyes, a tiger nose, fish scales and beard, dog legs, eagle talons, a deer antlers, and other facets. The dragon became the symbol of the emperor. People worshiped the dragon to beung favorable growing conditions, especially rain, for their crops. The dragon thus served as a symbol of harmony, the fundamental spirit of Chinese culture. It also symbolized the cohesive force of the Chinese nation. The dragon not only appeared on clothing, but in other aspects of cultural life such as dragon-lantern dances or dragon-boat races on various festivals. The Chinese cheongsam or popularily known as Mandarin qi pao, are often designed with the Chinese dragon and phoenix images, motifs or icons.

Dragon Robes

Design

The emperor's robes were designed as abstract representations of the universe. The symbols on the empeor's dragon robes were carefully arraged to correspond to the Chinese cosmos. The Chinese believed that this enhanced the wearer’s mystical relationship to the universe. Earth was conceived as the center of the universe. The emperor's head thus had to be at the exact center of his dragon robe, symbolizing the emperor as a an reflectiin on earh of universal order. The color yellow was thus reserved for the emperor. The opening for emperors head was made in the center of the robe. This represented the center of the world. Once the dragon robe was placed on the emperor, he was then solidly in command of the earth.

Color

Color was an important dcraive feature of Chinese robes. The color reflected an individul's status. Yellow had the greatest status. The emperor often wore yellow. The yellow symbolized the emperor's poition at the center of the Chinese universe. Important wore various designated colors. Ordinary people wore garments of dark blue, gray, and brown. The meaning of the various colors was not consistent thoughout Chinese history or even dynasties. The meaning of the colors could at any time be changed by an emperor.

Created: August 29, 2002
Last updated: 10:31 AM 6/26/2012