Mulan’s phoenix is actually the Vermillion Bird

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While the biggest event in Fashion x History has just concluded, judging from the turnout at the Met Gala, one can conclude that dressing to the theme isn’t quite a forte of A-listers. In the name of greater good, this series will demonstrate how one can be fashionably historically-inspired, while still adhering to certain themes.

AUSPICIOUS BIRDS AND US

Birds have had a long history of being seen as auspicious creatures and totems in Chinese culture. The Sun, for example, was represented by a three-legged bird. And of course, we are all very familiar with the phoenix, which at some point became synonymous with the bird in question I’m discussing today.

It has been known by many names in the Eastern part of the world, Zhu Que by the Chinese, Suzaku by the Japanese, Jujak by the Korean and Chu Tước by the Vietnamese. It symbolised the southern constellations of the night sky, and the element Fire.

Because of its association with fire, the vermillion bird is often thought to be the phoenixes by the West. And yes, plural because the Chinese Phoenixes fenghuang had gender (Feng was the male, and Huang was the female, and they combined into a singular identity somewhere down the road later on), while the Vermillion Bird did not.

The phoenix was believed to have the colours of the rainbow while the Vermillion Bird took its colour from the fire. Was that a phoenix or a vermillion bird that we spotted in Mulan? hmmm…..

Mulan (2020) live action movie featured a ‘phoenix’ which actually looks more like the Vermillion Bird of the South. Disney probably got confused between the Chinese and the Western phoenix.

Although some sources said that the ancient Chinese thought the stars in the southern night sky resembled the vermillion bird, thus the assignment of this symbol, it is unlikely so as the Vermillion Bird of the South as well as the Black Warrior of the North did not come into existence in the constellation assignment until much later (about 2,000 years ago) while the ancient Chinese were already very familiar with the constellations for far longer and had assigned the Dragon and Tiger to them first.

THE STYLING

Since Tang and Qing dynasty has the most fun and daring make-up trends ands styles, our styles were mainly based on these two periods, jazzed it up for modern taste.

The vermillion bird wears vintage Thierry Mugler jacket, with big exaggerated shoulders but sleek silhouette to emphasize it being an animal of the skies. A single red feather nose piece is the only thing to hint at it being a bird.

This styling was designed in collaboration with Aaron Han (@aharw) assisted by gabby @ga.bae.be
Makeup assisted by Danny @chenlingx0 and Silas @operatang
Photo by Aaron and I

The styling was done in a manner to represent the animals but also not in a literal sense. The traits that are used are symbolic, just like the animal themselves are symbolic.

The Vermillion Bird obscures half of its face with a Bian Mian fan which is a half-oval type of fan with a history of over 2,000 years. Originally made of bamboo, it evolved to other materials overtime and the one in the shoot was made with an emerald green silk gauze with weaved patterns. Very understated, and quintessentially Chinese. Its subtletly is juxtaposed with the red feather nose piece of The House of Malakai styled by Aaron (@aharw) to suggest its avian nature. Of course, the collar design and the Tang style (circa 8th century) wing-like eyebrows are also suggestive of that.

Section of the reference brow from Tang. This is a painting on silk screen uncovered from the Astana tombs.

Underneath the nose piece, were rouge blushers across the cheeks which some might recall seeing on famous 90s Chinese singer Faye Wong, or more recently, singer Rainie Yang. Except that it’s a lot more intense, as it would’ve been how the Tang people of the 10th century were copying the Tibetans during that time in this style of make-up.

Who wore it better? Left Faye Wong, Middle a Tibetan lady, Right Rainie Yang.

Obviously celebrities typically don’t do much research when they try on different make-up styles, pretty sure the socialites of Tang didn’t either, it was probably just cool or fun for them to experiment with a different styles because this style of blusher was deemed barbaric by the early Tang rulers, and had requested for the Tibetans to stop this practice. Who’d knew that a few hundred years later, it would become vogue at the end of Tang!

And just in case you thought the hair looks non-Chinese (like the typical long hair at the back in Chinese period dramas), I’d like to point you towards the Dunhuang murals from the Tang dynasty (same period), and look at the blushers and the hairstyle and accessories, it’s really quite Over The Top:

Section of Dunhuang Mural in Mogao Cave no. 61 with a noble lady of late Tang accessoried with many large and elaborate hair pins, haircombs, and the Tibetan style brick-red rouge on her cheeks.

The lip was also historically based on the last dynasty of China—Qing dynasty. Similar to the Tang rulers, the Qing were not of the Han ethnic group although they have adopted a great deal of the Han practices after ruling over this Han-majority land for centuries. The Qing lip would typically be just a red dot on the bottom lip, but there were instances where the top lip was also painted fully.

Picture of Imperial Consort Pearl (Zhen Fei), who was rumoured to have been drowned in a well in the Forbidden City by the Empress Dowager Cixi. She has the Qing style lip with a dot an her bottom lipi in this picture.

The Modern Vermillion Bird wears vintage Thierry Mugler jacket, with big exaggerated shoulders but sleek silhouette to emphasize it being an animal of the skies.

The fringe skirt by Raf Simon for Calvin Klein is a reference to its long tail feathers.

Unlike the Phoenix, the Red Bird is just red, while phoenixes were said to be of rainbow colours.

The vermillion bird wears vintage Thierry Mugler jacket, with big exaggerated shoulders but sleek silhouette to emphasize it being an animal of the skies. A single red feather nose piece is the only thing to hint at it being a bird with its front skirt is a reference to its long tail feathers.

The broad shoulder look was never really a Chinese thing, as sloping shoulder would look better in the traditional Chinese garment that has no shoulder seams. But that changed in the 40s with women adding shoulder-pads to their Cheongsams to accentuate the shoulder. This look is exemplified by the Japanese Singer in China Yoshiko Yamaguchi, most famously known by her Chinese stage name Li Xiang Lan 李香兰:

Left: Famous American-Chinese writer Eileen Chang
Right: Yshiko Yamaguchi/Li Xiang Lan in broad shoulder Cheongsam

QUINTESSENTIALLY CHINESE CRAFT, ACCESSORIES AND AESTHETICS

The Western fashion is very big on silhouettes of the dress, while the Chinese has always been about the hair, the craftsmanship, and the understated luxury where one needs to be close enough and in the ‘right circle of knowledge’ to appreciate the weave, the texture, the material, the motif etc. There’s a lot of secrecy behind many of the crafts, and that made them exclusive, therefore a sign of prestige for those who recognise them. Yet, in Chinese culture (quite unlike the Japanese), the craftsmen are anonymous, and undervalued in the grander scheme of things because the Chinese aesthetics has always been literati-led and the craftsmen were more of the ‘technicians’ to the literati’s ‘artistic vision’. Not unlike the many craftsmen working anonymously behind designer brands that bore the mark of the big name designers who most likely did not make those items themselves.

Another style with hair full of Chineseness. Velvet silk flower of bird motif, Chinese-Hakka style wound silk flowers, and purple jade flower.
Bodysuit by Richard Quinn, Nose piece by Ricardo Tisci for Givenchy, styled by Aaron han (@aharw)
Hair and accessories by me, make-up by Silas and I.

And just to transition into the more purely Chinese look, we did another look with more Chinese accessories, and also a Tang style hair and make-up with Qing lips. You probably think that it is a copycat of Frida Kahlo, honestly we didn’t realise it until it’s been done, and I immediately recalled a stranger getting in touch to borrow from me my silk flowers for her dressed-up costume party (she stopped responding the moment I told her the price of the flowers. I know, the value of these things aren’t very apparent to those who are not familiar with them).

I use a lot of lacquer and silk flowers because they are so, so, archetypically Chinese but most people just think of Chinese = gold. When in actuality, Chinese didn’t really use much gold in the ancient past. Or Green Jade (Jadeite) for that matter.

I love the emerald green silk scarve that has the auspicious clouds motif done in silver and gold couching technique.

Notice the green bangle? That is a vintage carved lacquer bangle (very rare to come by as typically it would be in red/cinnabar). Carved lacquer came about sometime during the Tang dynasty as well (circa 8th century or so) and became quite a thing later on so even though lacquer was used in many Asian cultures, carve lacquer can be said to be quintessentially Chinese. It is an extremely tedious process, as you would require hundreds of layers of paint, painted and dried, and painted and dried, before you can reach just a few centimetres of thickness for carving.

The Met (HAH!) had an exhibition on lacquer/cinnabar in 2009, you can read the synopsis HERE.

For the Traditional Chinese Vermillion Bird, I’ve decided to go with a wedding look because we often think of phoenixes for Chinese weddings, yet the colour that brides often wear for that occasion would be Red which is actually the colour of the Vermilion Bird. And since the Vermillion bird is often confused with the Phoenix, and more often than not used interchangeably with it, might as well throw the two into the same mix. If you can’t beat them, join them!

Styled, shot, accessories by me.

And you don’t say, Silas certainly looks a bit like Gemma Chan here don’t you think?

For this time round, she’s wearing cinnabar carved lacquer bangles. One is red-on-red, one is red-on-black. Both are vintage pieces.

Now, I shall introduce you to the real Chinese filigree and cloisonné craft for hair accessories. Not the fashion jewelry type worn on the red carpet at the Met by Chef Melissa King for her nail protector. Apparently it was supposed to be inspired by Empress Dowager Cixi (who is, by the way, NOT the last empress of China, contrary to what the Chef wrote on her insta).

The thing about traditional craftsmanship that came from a lineage of thousands of years, is that they get finer and finer, and they are often consumed by the imperial family so the demand for finesse is extremely high. Also, they are all about understated luxury. If it’s that big a bling, it’s probably too crass for them.

Filigree nailguard with ruby, pearl and kingfisher feather inlay. Collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Close-up details of the nailguard

The Palace Museum collection has quite a number of nail guards made from the Imperial Chinese filigree craft, completed with gems, pearls and kingfisher feathers on many occasions. You can zoom in to see the fine details of these nailguards, and they are extremely intricate —as fine as the kingfisher feathers.

In order to give you a bit more context on the scale of these intricacies, I shall zoom in a little bit on the filigree and cloisonné of the phoenix hairpiece in my photo which has similar craftsmanship as the palace museum nail guard above.

It is made with tiny grains of freshwater pearls and ruby (I think, I can’t remember the stones cos I have too many of these accessories.. lol). Her earrings are also filigree and cloisonné phoenix. SUPER AUSPICIOUS I KNOW!

I did an apprenticeship a couple of years back on filigree, cloisonné and kingfisher feather craft in Beijing, and it was through this process that I came to fully appreciate just how intricate this craft is. It’s not the type that you can see on photos or videos, that’s why celebrities wouldn’t really wear them because they don’t show up on screen that well cos they’re too tiny.

Extremely close up view of the phoenix filigree and cloisonné hairpin.

If you zoom in close enough, you can see that the edges of the wings is made up of tiny dots of gold. It’s actually very very fine silver threads gilded in gold, twisted into like a braid-like structure and welded onto the base. When I did my apprenticeship, the first thing to do was to learn how to pull the thick silver threads into fine strands, finger than human hair. And how to twist them in shape without breaking them. Sorry about the resolution, it’s just too fine for my camera. I will do better next time.

Our vermillion bird bride with a hair full of intangible cultural heritage craft—silk flowers based on Palace Museum collection, and a fan of another type of intangible cultural heritage craft—Kesi, also based on Palace Museum collection.

Since this set is all about intangible cultural heritage and fine Chinese crafts, I threw in the Kesi (literally translated to carved silk) fan. This is a replica of the Qing dynasty fan in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing.

The side profile you can see butterfly hair pieces made of dyed silk using the wound silk flowers craft, and also dyed goose feather accessories to replace the kingfisher craft. This hairpiece is based on the Qing dynasty item in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

The topic on Kingfisher feather is contentious, and there are many modern attempts to replicate the effect of kingfisher feather without the cruelty of it. Even the Qing dynasty rulers implemented a ban on using kingfisher feathers for accessories (with limited success obviously).

The cloisonné was one of the historical ways during the Qing period which middle class women could get a pseudo kingfisher feather colour accessory while the aristocrats continued with theirs.

These days, wound silk accessories, dyed goose feather, or peacock feathers are all reasonable substitutes. If you’re wondering (as I did), goose and peacock shed feathers quite readily and their feathers are abundant so it’s not like the case of the kingfisher where you need to kill many to get a tiny bit (disclaimer: goose and peacocks are not harmed since you just gather their shed feathers).

I’m actually making a series of accessories with these type of feathers and vintage lacquer pieces, and will be sharing them later half of the year! So stay tuned!

Meanwhile, if you’re planning to have a Chinese wedding shoot, please don’t go red + gold. It’s so cliché and nouveau riche. At least try to add some finesse like turquoise, blue, green, cyan, pearl, aquamarine, lapis lazuli, lacquer… They are going to add a lot more texture and colours to your otherwise crass look. We do, after all, have at least 5000 years of material culture and history to tap on, don’t behave like we only have 50.

Oh no, I was totally not referring to the billionaire daughter’s wedding (which one? so many huh.. :P).

POP CULTURE REFERENCE

The four guardians were first brought to my attention when I was a young latchkey child watching Japanese anime on my couch after school with my sister. Fushigi Yuugi was the name of the anime, and it started with the chapter of the Vermillion Bird of the South—Suzaku (in Japanese). It had all the characters with special abilities, each representing one of the 7 constellations of the southern nightsky under the charge of the Vermilion Bird.

So it is fitting that we start off this series with the Vermillion Bird.

DRAG IN CHINESE CONTEXT & AFTERTHOUGHTS

In the anime, the king of the southern kingdom Hotohori was a man who was as beautiful as a woman, probably very ahead of its time in the 90s.

And in this series, I have worked with Silas (@operatang) to portray this beautiful feminine side of a man. Drag is not new to Chinese traditional culture, except that it was not politicised like the West. The archetypical Chinese Opera look was a result of men trying to hide their masculine facial features in order to look more feminine. And beautiful men were a thing and even recorded in historical texts for thousands of years.

Hotohori in Fushigi Yuugi

When I approached Silas for this project, I also intended to try to re-interpret drag as we know it today in a traditional Chinese manner—from the perspective of someone who wants to look as much like a woman in representation according to a male perspective. This is historically related to the oppression of women in public for about 500 years where images and representation of women were manifested through male bodies in public performances, through their ideas of what a woman is like, how we walk, how we talk, or by male painters.

So as a result, as it is today, men could be more ‘feminine’ than we are (small sample size, but the 2 women involved this shoot can attest to that!). Maybe femininity has often been depicted through the male gaze, so what we see is often a man’s ideal woman image (not how we actually behave, but how they fantasize us to be). So a man could possibly represent very well this ‘ideal femininity’ if they are in touch with their feminine side. Silas showed me some Asian drag queens who are absolutely gorgeous and live up to the ideal female archetype upheld by society (we’re all fellow subjects of the male gaze in this instance!).

I also wondered about the concept of ‘womanface‘ in western drag practices, where features of what it meant to be a woman were used as content for jokes, as part of the overall ‘ridiculous’ look. I’m not sure if I prefer that, or the over-romanticisation of female body during our oppression (as in the Chinese context). Two extremes of the male take on femininity.

Food for thought I guess!

AND because you lasted till the end of this article, you are rewarded with a Vermillion Bird Instagram/facebook selfie make-up filter! Click on the hyperlinked text to claim them:

INSTAGRAM
Vermillion Bird (without frame)
Vermillion Bird (with 5 choices of Chinese motif frames)

FACEBOOK

Vermillion Bird (without frame)
Vermillion Bird (with 5 choices of Chinese motif frames)

Tang courtesans唐妓—Trendsetters? Influencers? Celebrities? Nah. They’re just Women of Taste.

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Entertainers, prostitutes, muse—these are a few of the terms widely used by academics and general public alike to describe female performers in ancient China. The Chinese term for performing artists evolved from a unisex word (伎jì) referring to male and female performers, into a word dedicated to female entertainers (妓jì) in the Tang dynasty (around 7-9th century) likely due to the wild popularity and prestige of being a female performer (also Courtesan) during that period. Thereafter, due to changing value and political systems, the nature of the profession evolved and these women of spiritual pleasure were objectified into women of carnal pleasures.

It’s interesting to note that in the ancient worlds across the world, there are Courtesans of similar natures. They were usually one of the most educated and artistically accomplished women in society, and they produced and inspired great artistic legacies. We see it in the Mesopotamian culture (West Asia i.e. Iran, Iraq, Syria), the Ancient Greek culture, Indian culture as well as Japanese, Korean and Chinese culture. There’s a wonderful book that I highly recommend everyone to read if you are interested in this topic—“Freewomen, Patriarchal Authority, and the Accusation of Prostitution” by Stephanie Lynn Budin.

Scene extracted from Yanzilou: Forgotten Tales (2021)

For the purpose of this article, I shall touch on the extravagant lifestyles that top courtesans enjoyed, and their role in leading the fashion of their times.

Now in case you think that all these women are sex slaves, you couldn’t be more wrong. They were slaves, yes, but not for sex.

There were courtesans, and there were Courtesans.

While Entertainment Houses weren’t exactly the epitome of female liberty and empowerment, they certainly offered these talented women a break from life as a traditional good wife.

FASHION TREND SETTERS

Gold and Silk

Scene extracted from Yanzilou: Forgotten Tales (2021)

Good wives had to adhere to strict rules on dressing—they have to dress in according to the rule book based on their husbands’ title and social status, courtesans were exempted from any rules. In fact, even though gold and silk were only accessible and permitted to be worn by the elites, Courtesans were decked in them in the comfort their entertainment houses because the realm of the Entertainment House was theirs.

And so, they were at the forefront of fashion styles. This continues to hold true until now, where public performers and celebrities were leaders of sartorial styles because they were bold enough to embody it. In fact, their very existence and popularity kind of depends on it. And you can try to spot the many different styles of Tang Dynasty dresses which you probably would never realised was iconic of the period if you just watched period dramas—most period dramas aren’t very period accurate.

Disclaimer: We actually incorporated Tang dresses worn by women across different periods of the dynasty, spanning 300-400 years so you could see the diversity in sartorial choices. Be it of Hu/western influence, or Han Chinese influence. So it was not specific to one particular time period in Tang.

Purple Brows

How Murex Snail looks like although mostly it could also be normal shell colour based on what I saw instead of purple.

Naturally, make-up was a large part of the fashion trends. Starting from the brow, the Tang period women were known for having extremely bold make-up (think Mulan except more tastefully done). There was mention of a compilation of 10 different brow styles of the period, but unfortunately the actual record was missing. The Courtesans, were the main drivers of this change and they were given a special title— the Ambassador of Brows!

If you actually do catch Yanzilou: Forgotten Tales, do look out for Mamapan and her brows in the early stage and you might just spot a tinge of purple. This was an actual pigment that would’ve been used during ancient China to showcase your wealth and connections.

Purple as we all know, is a colour of royalty in the West, and it was actually frowned upon by Confucius as an inferior colour since he saw it as an ‘impure’ colour unlike red, white, black, yellow and green/blue (yes he’s an CYMK fan). But during the Tang Dynasty, purple became extremely popular that the highest level of honour was to be wearing a purple gown in the imperial court, and to be bestowed one by the emperor. Purple brow pigment was also extremely precious. They came from a Mediterranean Sea snail—the Murex snail and the intense and deep purple produced was called the Tyrian purple. Of course, due to different oxidisation process, it might turn blue as well.

Screencap of the “Tyrian purple brow kit” in the Legend of Zhenhuan. Such a far cry from the actual image above right? And the box they used, was a fake carved lacquerware, it’s made of resin and costs 1/10th the price of a real one. I can just see through its fairness despite the low resolution!
The real carved lacquer made by craftsmen, we have in a couple in Yanzilou and you would get to see it in the film experience too.
We will make sure you see it because carved lacquerware started in Tang!

The last I checked, Tyrian purple in today’s market would’ve cost you 300USD/gram from a private seller (before shipping). I don’t think it is commercially available on a large scale since the production is extremely limited. But just imagine in those days, with shipping, it would’ve cost you a bomb. That’s why Tyrian purple brow make-up kit appeared in the Legend of Zhenhuan—it was a tribute item from “Persia”. Only the emperor’s favourite concubine would have access to it.

Don’t ask us how Yanzilou got hold of it. It’s a secret we’ll never tell. 😉

On a side note, I heard from a weaver that there are some places in Southeast Asia that produces similar style of purple dye with some sea snail or creatures. That’s quite an interesting thing to explore further!

Scene extracted from Yanzilou: Forgotten Tales (2021)

ARTS CRITIQUE

Arbiter of Taste & Sophistry

When it comes to the arts, we have to admit that taste is subjective and there’s technically no absolute judgement of good and bad art unless you are an ancient Chinese, of course. In which case, it is always literati-lead. So you see a rejection of life-like painting style in Chinese arts, because the literati found it too literal and lacking in imagination and spirit.

And guess who has got them wrapped around their fingers?

*takes a bow*

We often assume that the Chinese Imperial Exam System was probably one of the most meritocratic inventions of the ancient Chinese and that it had been meritocratic from the start. But back in the Tang Dynasty, it wasn’t so exactly. For one, only the rich could afford to study since cost of paper was extremely high. For two, Tang Dynasty exam submissions were not anonymous. So if you have some kind of reputation, or connections, the examiners could very well choose you over someone unknown.

That’s the plight of many scholars and the only way out, was to have their poems and writings known by the influential officials in the capital.

And the most effective way, is not to cold call. But to go through the Courtesans who would have access to the most powerful men in the country since all state banquets and important events would require their attendance. They in fact, would be invited to the private events as well, to host the sessions.

Scene extracted from Yanzilou: Forgotten Tales (2021)

So there were the courtesans, and there were the Courtesans, and there were the Duzhis who were the most highly regarded Courtesans (like Head Courtesans). The Duzhi’s talents were so highly regarded that they would host drinking and poetry sessions with these influential and highly educated patrons, and be the judge of the merits of the poetry. If you were of a lower level official, I suppose Courtesans would be good enough as well!

So just imagine, these Duzhi or Courtesans started praising a random scholar’s poem, or compose a song and used the scholar’s poems as lyrics… It would’ve been the most effective advertisement/product placement!

Most literature and history text books wouldn’t point this out, but it is precisely because of the courtesan culture, of them singing poems as lyrics, that in the dynasty after Tang (the Song Dynasty), the Song Lyrics became an important for of literary arts.

So how did we get from there, to prostitutes?

It’s the same old story in every civilisation, every culture. Like witches being hunted for their knowledge and associated power. I mean, there’s definitely nothing more badass and threatening than women with a great deal of knowledge, free from the traditional rules of a ‘good woman’, and knows all the secrets of influential men.

Just in case you are not on Facebook or Instagram, and have missed out on the announcement of the upcoming virtual interactive film experience, here’s a sneak peek of it! I realised that not many people can imagine what the experience would be like, and at this point, I can only say that you can choose who you meet in Yanzilou, the premium Entertainment House of the 8th century Tang China, and we have as many as 6,464 possible paths so different people would definitely experience Yanzilou very differently. Just like how it would’ve been in real life.

I will leave the trailer below, and if you’re interested to get a ticket, Early Birds/Black Friday sale is on until end of the month! It’s 25% off the regular ticket ($24) and 40% off the Late Bloomer tickets ($30).

It’s only running from 16 Dec to 31 Dec online, and you will receive informations in due course about how to experience this wherever you are, at your own time, with a cup of good wine/tea in a dark room with a pair of kicks earphones/speakers!

So join us on this time travelling experience this Christmas!

5 Things you ought to know about Mulan in her Oriental Wonderland

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Mulan (2020) reveals a West that is still not ready to see Chinese culture beyond Orientalism and tokenism. It’s fun to watch Mulan uncritically, but it is even funner to see how the West sees Chinese cultural representations and uncover things we never knew about Mulan through a serious, detailed, reading of the film’s aesthetics/sartorial choices.

Despite claims of research into the culture and consultations with Chinese academics, the entire visual and vibe is very much early 20th Century Hollywood style (mainly Qing dynasty stereotypes) combined with B-grade Hong Kong TVB drama. Because of the huge mix in sartorial style, Mulan (2020) turned into some timetravelling fashion show for me.

Some B-grade TVB show based on Tang dynasty…

I will split my article into 2 parts–The fun easter eggs part: A brutal one on the major things that went wrong, and the genuine easter eggs part: All the details that showed research attempts by people completely clueless about the culture and history.

As a typical Asian, we usually are better with criticism than praises, so brutal before kind first.

1. Emperor Jet Li Fu Manchu is part Japanese, part Chinese, part Manchurian but fully Oriental

First of all, there’s nothing that screams Japanese than 100000 layers of thick collar. Looks like some emperor decided to have an excessive adoption of the kimono/ Junihitoe multi-collar style. The silhouette of the Chinese emperor and how he sat on the throne also kinda reminded me of the placement of the Japanese dolls in their junihitoe:

Clearly Disney thinks that all East Asians look the same, as do their cultures and clothes.

Perhaps the emperor was inspired by an ancient record of how some ancient person dressed in 10000 layers of fine silk that was so translucent that a visitor from the foreign land could see the mole on his chest despite it being under those layers. Except that this time, he added his own interpretation–the Japanese way. But hey, he’s the emperor, so no questioning!

The emperor, besides having really amazing qi and kungfu skills, apparently could timetravel as well. His shiny golden throne is so similar to the Qing dynasty throne some 1000 years later and the way he sat on the throne resembles how the Manchurian emperors would look on it that I was SURE he travelled to the Qing dynasty, made a mental picture of it all, and got back to tell his craftsmen to do something similar to that effect. He also got inspired by the way they sat down on the throne. Probably took him some getting used to, but hey, it looks good, so whatever.

Bottom left: Golden throne from Qing dynasty with its elaborate deocrations
Bottom right: Emperor Qianlong in his ceremonial wear, seated on the throne in a position very much like the one assumed by Jet Li.

You see, the Chinese used to kneel for daily affairs in place of sitting down because of constraints in their dressings, and their furniture were usually low. During the Tang dynasty, higher seats were imported from the West, but the Chinese still didn’t sit like how we do today, with two feet facing downwards. Even the emperor, when he meets foreign ambassadors did not sit the way Jet Li did. Mostly it was cross legged, and their furniture were really low with their “chair” seats being really spacious so you could cross your legs comfortably on it. You would put your feet down if you were sitting on one of their stools (no backings), which was also a Western import.

Painting (partial) supposedly by famous Tang painter Yan Liben, of Tang emperor Taizong seated with crossed legs on a sedan carried by palace maidens.

And I really don’t get the hat. I don’t think I can find anything like that unless you’re talking about the Qing dynasty court hat.

Yes, the Tang emperor had around 12 different sets of dresses for different occasions, but none would have this kind of hat and attire. Although I’ve yet to find any Tang drawing with this kind of downturned moustache that has its middle cut off (most of the moustaches are upturned), at least he has some beard at the bottom of the chin which is really a saving grace. You see, there was a rule instituted by the Manchurian rulers during the Qing dynasty some 300 years ago, that all men should pluck off their moustaches on the bottom of their chin and in the middle of their top lips, leaving two separate rows of moustache above the top lip. So that is a uniquely Qing dynasty Chinese look as examplified by Fu Manchu below.

Who cares if the Emperor is Chinese, Japanese, from 1300 years ago or 300 years ago. They’re Asian and all Asians look the same anyway. I mean Aladdin was supposedly Chinese in Manchu wear (possibly looking like Fu Manchu) in the original story (yes I’m not kidding, you can google that).

So besides being crazy about Japanese culture like many of us today, the emperor must also be crazy about Qing dynasty culture, like many of us today. Thanks to anime and TVB drama and most recently, Yanxi Palace.

2. Mulan came from a village of bold fashionistas

One thing about Chinese culture that most people are not aware of is that the strict sense of hierarchy in ancient Chinese culture extends to even the way you dress. Since ancient dynasties, the kind of fabric and colours that one could wear was dictated by one’s social hierarchy and it is especially so for men (sorry dudes, this is the price you pay for having ‘qi’). Women often had a lot of leeway to dress in many different colours cos we have been the driving force behind fashion since time immemorial!

So why was anyone surprised that Mulan was a rebel? Her fellow villagers had all the nerve to dress above their hierarchy anyway! Every villager probably also had their hairtoss moments like Mulan.

Audaciously colourful villagers

In the Tang dynasty, plebeians like us could only wear yellow or white colour and especially men were not allowed to wear colours such as purple, green and red because they were reserved for various ranks of officials. At one point it was so strict that even your inner wear ought to conform to the rule. Overtime, the court relaxed the rules, partly because they couldn’t possibly enforce it. I mean, just look at Mulan’s village! Audacious fashionistas all! And so, colours like black which was supposed to be just for the soldiers became one of the plebeians’ dressing colours as well.

Look at how the men in the village looked… uncanny. Disney’s trying to do some product placement for Snow White live movie coming soon maybe?

One of the more pragmatic way of looking at it is, it was an extremely laborious and expensive thing to dye clothes using natural dyes. The more vibrant and darker the colour of the fabric, the more number of times you have to put your fabric in the dye and dry and dye and dry. In ancient China, it was also deemed immoral to be vain and excessive in your dressing since the state promotes agricultural practices more than commercial practices（重农轻商）. They did not want people to indulge in profiteering, but instead to just work hard to earn their keep and to know their place. Of course these restrictions only applied to plebeians like us, while aristocrats and the well-connected were often found with excessively decorative and expensive accessories and gowns.

3. Mulan wasn’t the only female who could yield “qi” in her village

I also spotted two fashionistas who time travelled forward in time and back to the Tang dynasty. Likely they were the other hidden timetravellers in the Mulan universe yielding their hidden talent “qi”. Perhaps we could expect a Mulan II featuring these characters and how they managed to yield their “qi” to bend time.

Look! One wore a kimono-inspired jacket/top, and another, a late Qing dynasty inspired top.

And these brave fashionista village women really matched anything and everything with their cropped short sleeve outer coat (banbi). These women basically piled on every single style of Tang dynasty undergarment to show they are wearing undergarments before their mainouter dress. GIVE ME MY TANG CLEAVAGES!!

It’s like wearing a veil on top of a mask…

Ok, fine, I get it. The designer is trying to show that they are country bumpkins trying to look graceful and elegant like the Tang aristocrats. So their garishly paired dresses and overtly conserative necklines make sense in that context.

4. Mulan’s hand-me-down ancestral matchmaking gown

What Mulan wore was also nothing like anyone in her time-period. Perhaps her mom is me in my past life, obsessed with historical dress-ups and kept/acquired an ancient gown or perhaps her mom inherited it from her ancestors because she brought honour to her family. Oh wait, she couldn’t have cos she didn’t give birth to any male heir unlike in the original Ballad where Mulan at least had a brother! Hmm..

Anway, back to Mulan’s matchmaking dress. It’s called a Quju and was worn a few hundred years before the Tang dynasty which majority of the film’s aesthetics was supposedly based on. I did a quick summary of history of Chinese fashion in the chart below and where her dress fit in.

The one-piece wraparound robe-dress was unique to the 3rd century and before, after which, this style of dressing slowly faded into obscurity with most Han Chinese women adopting a two-piece top-bottom dressing style. So that piece that Mulan wore has gotta be an antique piece, possibly more valuable than any of our branded gowns today.

Also in the ancient dynasties, to have embroideries and decorations on the collars and sleeves, one have to be the ruling elites, thus the Chinese term “ling xiu”领袖 today still refers to the leader of a group. So to have her gown being so decorative at the sleeves and collar from that period, one wonders if Mulan’s mom was a distant descendant of some royalties.

BUT WAIT! Her ancient royal ancestor could time travel like the emperor too! Maybe the imperial ‘qi’ helped them to do so… and Mulan inherited it from her mom despite her muggle Dad. Coincidentally, they also time-travelled to the Qing dynasty!

Look at these details… and the colours.. so bright and saturated and artificial that it could only be produced after mid 1800s when the artificial dyes were invented. Also, the motifs and style in which the machine-embroidered pieces looked very Qing dynasty. Yes, with a budget of 200 million USD, I’d expect more hand made artisan intricate and fine things…

Of course butterflies have exited for a long time and were used as motifs in ancient Chinese for a long time too, but they looked like these in the Tang dynasty:

leftmost: the butterfly motifs from Tang dynasty
middle: a container with butterfly surrounding the flora pattern in the middle
rightmost: a detailed butterfly motif

And the butterflies became fancier, livelier and and sexier later on.

left: Ming dynasty butterfly motifs
right: Qing dynasty butterfly motifs

A Qing dynasty robe with butterfly motif embroidered

So yes, the piece that Mulan wore for matchmaking was what the art and fashion world would call a “fusion” piece (probably sells better than antique pieces). Blending the western invention of synthetic dyes in mid 1800s with the Eastern Han dynasty style robe of the 2nd century or so, peppered with some Qing oriental manchu butterfly motif for their dynamism.

5. Mulan’s mom is actually a time-travelling historical dress-up fan albeit a little noob

Besides the heirloom-time-travelling-fusion-matchmaking dress that Mulan’s mom owned, she also did Mulan’s make-up. That’s something I really would want to discuss cos it’s the funnest part! For this part, I especially consulted a researcher specialising in ancient Chinese make-up re-creation–Kasia Gromek so we could understand the raw material a bit better.

1. BROWS
   There were many different things that were used for brow powder and this greenish/blue pigment (Chinese didn’t really differentiate blue and green in writing in the past, as did Japanese, yes we’re all the same) would be sold as an exotic brow colouring make-up from “Persia”. As with today, “Made in Persia” definitely sounded better than “Made in China” to the Tang populace who were obsessed with the foreign imports and culture. Such an item would command a super huge premium. Although according to Kasia, the actual item is probably “Made in India” and from a mixture of indigo (blue pigment) and henna.
   
   In another account I read (not sure of it’s authenticity), there was also a mention that it was a greenish/turquoise pigment from copper after it oxidises and produced something like verdigris which is toxic to the body, and the Chinese called it Copper brow pigment. But Kasia said such pigments were used for paintings or glazes, not for make-up. But yes, I would say good on Mulan’s mom for nailing this!
   
   And her mom’s probably very rich… cos it’s not cheap at all. Usually it’s what the emperor would give to his concubines and apparently by Ming dynasty, a homegrown Chinese indigo would sometimes be sold as the original by some profiteering merchants (see that’s why the Chinese traditionally has always detested the merchant class). In the Ming dynasty, if you were caught doing it, the penalty is death. But it is a hugely profitable business so… there’ll always be takers.
   
   There could also be mixtures made from lapis lazuli and malachite for the brows as re-created by Kasia below:
   
   
   Fancy huh!
   A pity Mulan’s mom didn’t follow @hanfugirl otherwise she could accomplish real authentic looking Tang dynasty make-up with all these resources she owns.
   
2. FOREHEAD
   Forehead yellow powder is a make-up style that was more popular during the northern and southern dynasties, a hundred years or more before the Tang dynasty. It was said to be inspired by the Buddhist golden sculptures and their golden glow, and it is either the dried extract of yellow dye from safflower (super organic) which looks brownish actually, or a mineral like yellow-orange orpiment (the OG mineral make-up).
   
   However, because Mulan’s mom probably didn’t practise doing make-up for a while, so she kind of overdid the yellow. I would imagine that it would look more like this image that I did based on the kinda look from a few centuries before the film’s time period, when the yellow forehead style was at its peak in terms of popularity :
   
   In the original Ballad of Mulan it was mentioned that she pasted a yellow decoration on her forehead, so it could also be that she used a yellow or golden looking insect wing/paper/decorative thing to paste onto her forehead.
   
3. FOUNDATION
   Again, Mulan’s mom, like the emperor, is an anime and fan of Japan clearly. The base make-up in such thick white paste looks more like the type that Geishas use instead of how we think the ancient Chinese would. The ancient Chinese would use a mixture of lead white with starch which has a light shine to it, kinda like the look when you apply some shimmer base. So the look would probably be more like the image above than the geisha or mulan’s look in the film.
   
   Kasia re-created the actual base (no. 1) in her spare time, with a few alternatives that’s safe for application in modern days cos no one wants to die or let their face rot from lead poisoning. Mulan’s face looks more like no. 4 (except even thicker) which is also made from a traditional recipe but much later in the 15th century.
   
4. LIPS & ROUGE
   I think Mulan’s mom would do well to invest in a proper make-up class or even a painting class on blending. Perhaps she hasn’t left her village in a long tie, and lost touch with the latest trends and finesse of the Tang make-up in the capital city.
   
   
   BLEND BLEND BLEND! Someone please send Mulan’s mom ANY youtube make-up tutorial!
   
   The rouge powder would’ve been made from safflower, while the lipstick (yea, they actually have tube-like lipsticks like what we have today way back in the Tang dynasty!) would’ve been made from the toxic vermillion. It’s a pity that Mulan’s mom hadn’t left the village in a while, otherwise we would be able to catch a glimpse of the Tang lipstick and realise just how advanced and sophisticated they had been!
   
   Nobody paints their lips this full in the past… Mulan’s mom was ahead of her time by 1,300 years.

I have taken the liberty to re-edit Mulan’s look to be more historically accurate. Trying hard to ignore the very out-of-place time-travelling china vases in the background and her dress.

Mulan’s mom really need to get out of her village more. She’s single handedly sabotaging Mulan’s chances at getting a match even if Mulan nailed it herself.

How Mulan’s mom would’ve done her make-up if she has been following @hanfugirl

5. The Matchmaker is the Red Queen in disguise

Up to this point, I’m inclined to think that the Mulan Universe is full of mutants whose “qi” could help them travel across time and space. And the women in particular didn’t bother hiding them, in fact, they have been flaunting them IN YOUR FACE through fashion. Also, they have an obsession with the Qing dynasty and occasionally, the Japanese. Mulan really should’ve studied fashion history better so she could stop them and form some kind of girl power alliance.

I think the matchmaker couldn’t rid herself of her red queen vibe however hard she tries.

The Matchmaker is definitely the Red Queen in a Chinese woman’s skin. Her sartorial style betrays her real identity except for the fact that had she retained her tiny lips, she might look more convincing as a Tang woman.

The Red Queen definitely is a fan of the Qing dynasty, and takes an almost Japanese Oiran approach to the accessorising herself with Qing dynasty hairpins.

Cloud shoulder is in a very Qing style with high collars no less! The hairpin looks like what’s literally known as “ear-digging-spoon” hairpin.

The concept of cloud shoulder has been around in Chinese fashion for thousands of years, before the Tang dynasty, but it was only worn by the Empress as her ceremonial dress. Thus further proving my hypothesis that the Matchmaker is the Red Queen in disguise, because otherwise, How Dare She?!?!

Tang dynasty painting supposedly credited to the famous Tang painter Wu Daozi with the empress at the rightmost of the painting in her ceremonial dress which featured a cloud shoulder.

cloud shoulders worn by Ming and Qing women in Han Chinese dressing style

The cloud shoulder was more commonly used amongst civilians/plebeians in the Ming and Qing dynasty, unlike what the costume designer of Alice in Wonderland II claimed.

The sequel picks up when Alice has returned from a trip to Asia, and she wears a colorful look procured on her journey for most of the film. Atwood said it was “loosely based on the imperial costumes in China,” and it features a decorative purple tunic embroidered with little hats and rabbits, surrounded by a flower border based on traditional embroidery.

-Colleen Atwood

Atwood might be disappointed to know that the cloud shoulders, top-bottom dress combination and stripped skirts are nowhere near what the imperial Manchurians would wear. Rather, it’s the civilian/plebeian Han women’s attire. Not everything about China needs to add an “imperial” to make it sound fancy.
Note how similar the butterfly embroidery on Alice is to the one in Mulan.

I find it hilarious that designers (both Chinese *cough* Guopei *cough* and the West) love to refer to the Chinese ‘imperial’ family as their design inspiration while getting their inspirations mainly from the commoners actually. Yes, I get it, it’s marketing fluff talk. The Manchurian imperial family’s dresses are extremely boring actually because of all the rules they had to adhere to, better luck with the free-and-easy commoners!

The hairpins from Qing dynasty were also worn in a much more delicate and subtle manner by women of the past:

Compared to how the Japanese Oiran would wear theirs:

Perhaps the Red Queen’s too obsessed with the Japanese aesthetics and infused it in her Tang-Qing-fusion dressing as well.

Since we’re on the topic of ear-digging hairpins, please indulge me in a quick perusal of the beautifully and intricately crafted pins (the show really don’t do them justice):

JUST IMAGINE…

Overall, I’m actually disappointed in the production value of the costumes and make-up in the show. There’re a lot of lost opportunities to showcase the Tang culture and fashion which featured really brightly coloured dresses (which the show has) that are tastefully matched and not kitschy (which they are in the film).

The Tang dynasty has so many dramatic make-up styles for the crew to choose from, such as eyebrows, forehead decoration and lips as these:

However dramatic the brow or forehead decoration, the lips are always small!

But no, instead, we get Paul Frank lookalikes.

If I have it my way, the characters could look like these (based on my courtesan series):

MULAN AND SISTER IN NORMAL SETTING

Mulan needs to hide their time travelling “qi” better by not sporting such modern hairstyle. She could, with her sister, consider a more Tang dynasty teenager/youth hairstyle such as the above. And to have proper banbi instead of what looks like an apron.

MULAN DURING MATCHMAKING

Mulan could wear this set for her matchmaking session. I’m pretty sure she could reuse this set for her grand audience with the emperor at the end too. Or, Ming Na Wen could consider this instead.

THE CONNIVING WITCH

Why fight force with force. Chinese women are often likened to being like water, and a villain need not be all brute force to seem strong like maleficent. She could be strong in yielding others’ strength and power for her own, like the ways of taichi.

THE BADASS MATCHMAKER WITH SIDEKICK

Since matchmakers need to be in the forefront of fashion, they could wear the super elaborate big hairdo and another with low neckline. Instead of modern looking teacups which would be too small for the Tang appetite, they could be super badass and be playing drinking games over a game of backgammon. They remain super colourful, properly colour-coordinated, and be period accurate.

Taking a step back, if I’m someone completely ignorant of the Chinese culture, I’d love Mulan’s colourful stereotypes because they conform to my expectation of how Chinese should look. Cheap, kitschy, exotic.

Like these shoes which have been done in collaboration with Disney by a supposedly famous UK brand (supposedly because I didn’t know them before, so I guess not famous enough!), it shows that there is a real market out there who expects such visuals presented in Mulan:

Nevermind that Lotus/Waterlily has nothing to do with Mulan… as long as it looks like it’s remotely Chinese-y, we’ll just stick it onto the shoes and call it “Warrior Heart”, whatever that means.

It’s ok that a lotus shoes has the same symbolic meaning as the kinda shoes for the dead. Because Warrior Heart is like Brave Heart, you need to die before you can prove your courage for real.

Lots more to rant, but I decide to be positive and will get started on the parts where it showed attempts at being historically accurate in the next post.

This Intl Women’s Day weekend, Hanfugirls celebrate Chinese femininity

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In case you’ve yet to catch the latest interview that the Hanfugirls Collective has done with the South Morning China Post (SCMP)

We’re not weak, we’re Wonder Women: real Chinese femininity celebrated by group fighting traditional stereotypes through ancient dress and customs

I’m shamelessly linking it above and below before we go into what we have prepared for you this International Women’s Day!

This International Women’s Day, we’ve prepared a range of experiences and learning opportunities to satisfy both our thirst for knowledge and our penchant for vanity.

We will kickstart the weekend with a full day of activities focusing on the concept of Chinese femininity (not the way you probably assumed for it to be), epitomised by the Chinese courtesans who are really more of the predecessors of Geishas than what conventionally we would think of as prostitutes.

Of course, since I’ve said in the news report that the world has no lack of pretty girls, we need more empowered women, I can’t possibly offer photoshoot opportunities/packages that are not historically-accurate (means the airy-fairy-goddess kind one would see on TV). Think of it as an experiential learning opportunity rather than a simple glamour shoot opportunity. As part of our fundraising efforts for the performance, I’m partnering Dressed Up Dreams Photo Studio for the Tang courtesan dress-up experience. I will focus on the styling, and Sharon my counterpart will focus on the photos.

7 MARCH 2020

To the ancient Chinese, music and dance were referred to by the same word yuè 乐, and entertainers both male and female would be referred to as jì 伎. Over time, jì came to be identified with female entertainers, then courtesans, and eventually, prostitutes.

History has always been told from a man’s perspective, of their conquests, victories and achievements. This International Women’s Day, we are telling the stories and artistic legacies of women from the ancient past starting from music and dance.

Workshop & Lecture: Ancient Chinese performing arts and its evolution in history
$20/person
7 Mar (Sat) | 2pm–3.30pm
Speakers: Elizabeth Chan & Cen Hai Shan*

Music and dance have been an integral part of human life throughout history in every culture. Each culture has its unique aesthetic sensibilities which is usually a culmination of beliefs, lifestyle factors and these in turn shape its art forms. It is a continual evolution brought about with the exchange of ideas and people with the opening up of trade routes and human migration. Come and learn more about the evolution of Chinese classical music and dance through the ages, and how foreign influences have contributed to the arts we now know today. Do dress in comfortable attire as you will have the chance to learn and experiment with a few dance movements in this interactive session. 

Origins of the Geisha: Women and Art in Tang China

Part I: Encountering Tang courtesans in early Yanzilou
$40/person (limited to 10 guests who will stay on for the lecture)
7 Mar (Sat) | 7pm–9pm

Poets and scholars feverishly penned poems to catch her eye, while noblemen gifted her with mansions in exchange for an evening of entertainment. The Tang courtesan accepts no ordinary patrons – only those who value her art above the banal things in life. Tonight, the courtesans of Yanzilou will host ten guests fortunate enough to catch their fancy – you may indulge in conversation with them about the fascinating culture of Tang, and take in the sights and sounds of a regular evening in the courtesan house.

Part II: Origins of the Geisha: Women and Art in Tang China (Lecture)
$20/person
Speaker: Mamapan (Hanfugirl)
7 Mar (Sat) | 8pm–9pm

Modern literature, pop culture and even academics often dismiss the courtesans of ancient China as just prostitutes, without exploring their artistic achievements and legacies in a historical narrative dominated by male scholars, literatis, and historians. On the other hand, the Japanese Geishas who were very much influenced by the ancient Chinese courtesans traditions, have been hailed as keepers of Japanese artistic traditions, admired and respected by foreigners and Japanese alike. This lecture will unveil the forgotten origins of geishas in the form of Tang dynasty courtesans, who held contradictory identities of both superstar celebrities and slaves, occupying the liminal space between a muse and a slave, and who were indispensable in the proliferation and popularisation of Tang dynasty literature and arts. You will also see how female entertainers, then as now, were also subjected to objectification and exploitation of their talent, and how history is always repeating itself.

8 MARCH 2020

So this is the moment many of you have been waiting for! Photoshoots! I don’t typically do photoshoots for the public because of my schedule and need for me-time. But I was relieved to find a partner in Sharon who would be doing the photos while I just focus on the styling (yay to no more sleepless nights of photo-editing!). Whenever there’s a query/request for photoshoots, I would also typically refer people to Sharon since she does it professionally for a living.

For this collaboration, you will be transformed into a Tang courtesan and have a taste of what life was like through her eyes. It would also be a once-a-lifetime chance for you to get any shoot of yourself done in our beautifully decorated to Tang style space!

As playing the role of a famous courtesan is no easy feat, come with an open mind, an appreciation for alternative beauty ideals, and an inquisitive spirit in order to get the most out of the session!

Packages start from $588 for an hour’s shoot between 1pm–6pm, and you can top up another $100 for a pure silk dress which was recreated to be as authentic as possible based on Tang artefacts and paintings.

If you were to engage me beyond this opportunity, it would cost you a lot more, so do grab this chance!

More details available HERE.

*ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Elizabeth Chan

Elizabeth Chan, or 美锜, is a Chinese dance practitioner-researcher. She graduated from the University of Roehampton (London) with an MA in Dance Studies in 2016 and prior to that, from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a BFA in Dance (majoring in Chinese dance) in 2013. She worked in Hong Kong for two years, with Hong Kong Disneyland and as a freelance dance artist. Most recently she is based in Singapore, studying her PhD at the National University of Singapore, as well as working with local artists and fellow Chinese dance practitioners on varied contemporary, intercultural and traditional topics. Her own research is focused on the multiple past and present positions of Chinese dance in the world.

Cen Haishan

Haishan is a Guzheng teacher and performer. She graduated from the China Conservatory of Music with a B.A. in Music Performance. She has played for TV broadcast both in China and Singapore. Haishan has performed with key arts groups both as a soloist and ensemble player with the  Singapore Chinese Orchestra, City Chinese Orchestra, DingYi Music Company, Teng Company. She was featured in MediaCorp Channel 5 documentary, The Big Unknown I & II in 2005-2006. Her other identities include being a certified Yoga and Taijigong instructor.

Qing dynasty show styling–The good, the bad and the ugly (Make-up & Accessories episode)

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The most successful part about Yanxi Palace was how it has created a keen interest and a commercial market for its intangible cultural heritage crafts. In particular, the velvet silk flowers. One would almost mistake it for an advert promoting China’s soft power, but more than that, it actually has created an excitement and hopefully a commercially viable market for the continuation of the ancient crafts.

Below is a summary collage by the official channel on the range of intangible cultural heritage crafts from the Chinese imperial palace that was covered in the show.

These ancient crafts include Kesi weaving technique, velvet silk flower making, golden thread couching, semi-machine embroidery, double-sided embroidery, forbidden knot embroidery, Kingfisher feather accessories (which also included gold/silver filigrees), cloisonne and gold/silver filigree.

I’ll save the best for last. FIRST, I’ll be technical and talk about the good and the bad parts.
THE GOOD

Cloud Shoulders （云肩）

This is one element of dressing during Qing dynasty which is hugely popular, but greatly neglected in most Qing dynasty shows. Cloud shoulders are so iconic of Chinese dressing that it was even used in Alice in Wonderland!

Han Chinese women had cloud shoulders initially to keep the collar area of the dress clean from the hair oil they use and they were a separate piece from the dresses underneath.

It slowly evolved to become extremely elaborate and became a showcase of fine embroidery work as well.

However, as it remained largely a Han Chinese accessory, it is no wonder that many stylists would not incorporate them into their production. Especially since given their intricacies, it would increase the cost of production greatly.

We do see that the playwright did try to emulate what’s been painted during Emperor Qianlong’s grandson’s period below:

Scarves & cloth strings hanging loosely

So we’re probably really used to the white scarf around the neck in shows as though the white scarf was supposed to be some standard wear:

Reality is, Yanxi got it right instead based on a foreign missionary’s painting of the same era:

The white scarf around the neck is only usually used when they are wearing collarless/round collar dresses, and the white would be used to conceal the neck portion

They even got the detail portion with cloth strings hanging loosely and the waist accessories which were very much Han Chinese. They look like the Forbidden Steps accessories which ancient Han Chinese women wore to remind themselves to walk slower. Although they can also be scent pouches.

Earrings & lipstick application method

If you noticed, women have 3 earrings in each ear in the show, just as in the paintings from the era. Ear piercings, like the shaving of head/cutting of hair was not a typical Han Chinese practice but it was the norm for the nomadic tribes. There were records that women from nomadic tribe even had as many as 8-9 earrings! Emperor Qianlong also gave the order to make it mandatory for all women of banners (like their aristocrat families) to have 3 ear piercings on each ear.

As with everything Chinese, everything is symbolic and hierarchical. So the types of pearls and the number of gemstones and pearls also would vary according to the status of women in the imperial court. Apparently, if you were just an attendant, you could only wear one pearl earring on each ear, with the other two earrings being just simple rings, while the Empress would wear the highest quality of pearls on all 3 piercings.

Also, if you’ve noticed, most of the actresses in the show looked really pale. That’s because they only applied lipstick on the lower lip, like how women did back in the early/ mid-Qing Dynasty. Occasionally they looked like they had some on the upper lips gradiating out as well, but I suspect it might have been a smudge from the bottom lips and the stylist possibly gave up trying to touch up for so many of them all the time!

18 beaded bracelet of the Qing court (清宫十八子) & number of buttons

One of my favourite accessories of Qing dynasty has got to be the 18 beaded bracelet that Qing dynasty men and women would wear on the SECOND button of their robe:

In most palace dramas, the stylists or tailor might’ve just made dresses with just a single button on the chest area but Yanxi actually made 2 buttons on the chest area NOT because it was the norm but I think they wanted to show that they paid a lot of attention to details. Most of the robes had only 1 button, but there were some dresses that had two buttons as well and the more iconic ones would be the photograph of Empress Dowager Cixi.

Unlike the court beads which went with black tie formal attire where there would be a strict protocol and hierarchy of what kind of beads could be worn by which person of a specific rank, the 18 beads accessory was pretty democratic. Anyone could use any type of beads or colours.
THE BAD

I’m trying very hard to nitpick.

Integrated cloud shoulder

Typically, the cloud shoulder was an add-on, and a Han Chinese accessory.

When integrated as an embroidered pattern on blouses, it was mainly for Han Chinese women in the form of a long top blouse.

It’s only when it comes to late Qing that the Manchurians would integrate this kind of design into their long robes.

18 Beads on the THIRD button

I’m sure careful observer or reader would’ve noticed that in the Yanxi Show, the button which hung the 18 beads was the third, not the SECOND. It’s only when you are wearing an overcoat that’s when you could move it to put on the button that’s at the armpit.

THE AMAZING

Come on, we all need to be a bit more encouraging and positive towards genuine attempts to inch towards historical accuracy! Here are a few amazing crafts that are featured or mentioned in the show:

Silver Peacock threads （孔雀羽线）

Feathers have long been used in all types of ways to accessorise and decorate people and their dresses for their brilliant colours that never fade with time. This type of string existed in Chinese records as early as 500 BCE (yes, you got that right, 2,500 years ago).

You basically rub the feather strands (not the entire feather but the soft loose strands) with silk threads, then together with real gold threads. I read somewhere that it would take someone an entire day just to create 1m of such thread.

The end product looks like this:

I know for a fact that pictures NEVER do justice to actual objects when it comes to artefacts because it cannot show the texture, the extremely thin threads, and the slight shimmer and bright colours that change slightly with light.

Kingfisher feather accessories （点翠）

If you’ve seen kingfisher before, you’d know that they are extremely small birds. And their feather, even smaller. On top of that, only a few specific parts of the bird’s feather could be used because mostly the rest are brownish colour. Even within one feather, only the topmost part is blue. So many birds were sacrificed for their feathers just for a tiny part of an accessory.

The Kingfisher feathers were separated into “hard feather” and “soft feather”, with hard feather being the larger ones that’s about 4-5cm long (only about 2-3cm can be used), and the soft feather would be about 1-2cm long (only about 0.8-1cm can be used). For an area as small as 1cm x 1cm, you would easily need about 20 soft feathers or 5-8 hard feathers. The soft feathers are especially precious because I think they come from the head or the chest (I’m not very familiar with bird feathers’ location but it’s not available in abundance). So just imagine how many birds would have to be killed for their feathers for that amount of accessories and for women’s vanity.

So it got so bad at some point during the Qing dynasty, that kingfishers became endangered, and there was an imperial edict to forbid the killing of kingfishers. Yes, the ancient Chinese were very environmentally conscious contrary to popular belief.

And that is also why there was a surge in the use of cloisonne in accessories making to achieve similar colours.

Famous Chinese opera performers like Mei Lan Fang were said to have their entire headpiece made up of soft feather as the top grade type of accessory. The finer the feather, the more intricate and flawless they look, and the better the shine. But as with everything, only those who are in the circle would be able to appreciate its beauty cos otherwise, if nobody tells you, you wouldn’t notice it.

Many things in the Chinese culture aren’t as opulent or apparently luxurious. It’s only when you learn about the process behind it, and realise that there’s no way you can achieve the same look in any other way that’s when you might go “JUST TAKE MY MONEY!”. I know cos that’s me. Yes, I learnt this controversial craft when I was in Beijing, but I haven’t practised it since. I just wanted to know how it’s done so I can appreciate its history, complexity and craft.

Cloisonne accessories （烧蓝+花丝镶嵌）

Another technique that I’ve learnt from a Beijing intangible cultural heritage craftsperson is the filigree and cloisonne techniques. Like many things in the palace, there was a strict division of labour when it comes to crafts, and an accessory does not consist of a single craft. So for the cloisonne accessory, there would be filigree, gemstone setting (note the Chinese don’t traditionally create/cut specific/symmetrical shapes from the gemstones unlike the West–they set them in their natural shape), and cloisonne.

This craft is one of the 8 impossible crafts of Beijing/the forbidden city （燕京八绝）. Maybe I’ll do one on the 8 crafts one day.

Gemstones were set in shapes created using fine gold threads. The natural shape of the gemstone was not altered.

Ming dynasty style earring made using gold fine threads (finer than hair about 0.1mm at some point) utilising the filigree technique. It is impossible to produce such with a machine because really fine gold threads break easily, and a machine would not be able to handle such details.

Close up of filigree made in current times. This piece of jewellery is probably only about 5cm or so, so you can imagine the amount of detail and time needed to make one. It took me about 10 days to learn and make a basic piece of about half this size, and nothing as complicated.

In a production line, one person would be strictly in charge of making fine silver threads, and another would be in charge of making fine patterns, another would be welding them together, and so on and so forth. When China first became a Republic, there was a factory set up for the production of such, with a clear division of labour so each division of craftsperson would not know the job and techniques of another division’s. So typically most people wouldn’t singlehandedly be able to finish one artwork. But of course, there are also craftsmen who have been in the line long enough, and rotated through this line, or passed down through apprenticeship which would allow them to do so. That’s far and few in between.

Cloisonne and filigree are both not native to China–they’re perfect examples of foreign cultural influences to China over thousands of years ago and China had made it its own by combining them in unique ways, and by infusing their own aesthetics.

I originally went in to learn the craft thinking that I would like to make my own designs. But after learning, I realised the time, the technical mastery and the equipment needed are just too much! I am actually getting a steal if I commission them to make my design instead! Apparently most overseas/Singaporean orders were for weddings.

Velvet Silk thread flower accessories （绒花）

Since Tang dynasty (about a thousand years ago), velvet silk flowers (like pompom texture flowers using silk threads, not those synthetic ones) have been used as a tribute to the emperor, so only the imperial court could use these items. It was not until about 500 years later that the average joe could have access to them.

They are called Rong Hua (similar sound as properity 荣华) so they were often worn during celebratory occasions by the consorts.

Thanks to (but no thanks) to the Yanxi palace drama, orders for velvet silk flowers now has closed, and has a waitlist of at least a year if they reopen…. Fortunately I grabbed a few earlier!

Gold Thread couching （盘金绣）
I see it in kimono quite often these days still, but I don’t know much about it at the moment.

Forbidden Knot embroidery （打籽绣）

I’ve done a previous share on this topic, so will just reference below:

Since we are on the topic of the Forbidden Stitch, I googled for the English explanation online for its name cos it is not a direct translation of the term 打籽绣 which literally means making-a-knot stitch. I think it is the western marketing term to sell this kind of stitch and to orientalise it by associating it with the forbidden city and making a story about people going blind while stitching it.

“This type of knot is particular to the rich Chinese silk embroidery where patterns were filled with rows of such fine knots. Due to the eye strain and blindness that working on such knots caused, it came to be called blind knot. Interestingly, the name ‘forbidden stitch’ took shape either because this stitch became forbidden due to the ‘blindness’ it caused or because of the knots’ association to China’s Forbidden City, the home to the Emperor.”

According to a Chinese book, the earliest occurrence of this type of knot embroidery was about 2000 years ago in Mongolia. I suppose this might be a nomadic influence in the traditional Chinese embroidery world.

Try spotting one the next time you visit a museum with old Chinese textiles!

Kesi weaving （缂丝）

Kesi is a form of textile that dates back to over 2000 years ago to the Han dynasty. The special part about this type of weaving is while the thread runs from one end to another to form a pattern in normal weaving technique, kesi utilised a special technique that one can only see the specific coloured thread where there’s pattern, so it’s like a magical appearance of a thread.

AND, the two sides are the same pattern so there’s no front and back. It’s really an ingenious technique which you have to see to understand its brilliance. Unlike embroidery, it’s weaved pattern so it’s as flat as the piece of textile and not popped out, that’s why it’s called Ke Si (缂丝)which literally translates to carved silk.

I have one Kesi fan that would’ve cost you easily four digit SGD today. Sounds like a lot, but back in the olden days, there was a famous saying that an inch of kesi is worth an inch of gold because of its great complexity. And as with almost ALL the great crafts, such goodies were only exclusively used by the imperial family. Emperor’s robes were made of kesi as well–I actually saw a kesi robe when I was visiting the Metropolitan Museum! Because of the imperial family’s monopoly in this, even the Chinese didn’t know much about it.

There’s a great article about this craft which you can read HERE.

I came across a video of Japanese weavers using their fingernails to comb the threads called the Tsuzure Ori and wondered if it’s similar to the Kesi technique of weaving, and then I also wondered why they didn’t use the tools like in the case of Kesi cos they certainly looked kind of similar *shrug*.

Yanxi show used Kesi fans which were replicas of the fans that are in the collection of the Palace Museum. Lovely isn’t it? My dream is to own it one day too… It’s exorbitant, but nothing that money can’t get you in China!

Intangible cultural heritage crafts are my pet topic, and if I have all the time in the world, I would like to learn them and own at least one of each! I’m slowly making my way through this, and will hope to share more as I acquire more!

Unleash your imagination, join us!

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We might not have Bonzai or courtyards that look as quaint as this, but we can definitely think of new ways to present the Chinese culture and its diverse influences.

My long sabbatical has somehow triggered a slight change in the way I look at my possessions and life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still very careful about who gets to wear my collection and who gets to be taken pictures of because there’s a certain pride I take in my work, but I’m less precious about them these days and the need to engage supersedes the desire to guard.

I’m currently looking for like-minded people to work together on other upcoming projects that I have in mind, because it’s always nice to have people to bounce off ideas with! You never know what you’re gonna learn!

Occasionally it would be photoshoots, other times it might take on the form of an interactive exhibition, or performance. Whichever’s fun, we’ll do it because the process is just as important as the outcome.

I guarantee that you’ll have fun 🙂

To apply directly, click HERE.

Otherwise, here’s a bit more information (just slightly more). Or if you have any major doubts, feel free to email me at hanfugirl@gmail.com!

#Hanfumaid for Rogue

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Editor’s note:

In this inaugural edition of Rogue, we debunk myths related to the history of footbinding and role of women in ancient Chinese society that started this very practice. We also decided to glam up the role of women in the domestic setting because we believe that these are very respectable roles worth celebrating! Try doing them day after day, and I’m sure you’ll have a new found respect for our unsung heroes/heroines.

XOXO
Hanfugirl

DOWNLOAD HERE: Rogue1-2018

I thought the reach-for-the-drink shot looks extremely Jay Chou MTV so we thought, hey, we need some advert in this magazine to look real right! And Dressed Up Dream worked her wonders.

Em.. I told Dressed Up Dreams, we need a back cover that’s like some dark image with a watch or something shining through. And she pulled out this image that’s processed by her, which she calls “Glamour Blur” shot. I died laughing.

Backstory:

You are the most creative when you are given the most constraints.

We were stuck in our airbnb Nanjing for the entire day, and Dress Up Dreams and I came up with this #Hanfumaid series using whatever we could find there. I’m sorry we couldn’t cover all the topics as promised on the cover of this issue’s Rogue, but if there’s enough demand, maybe we would get to them one day!

If you would like to read it like a real online magazine, you can download the pdf file and print out.

And yes, I remember that I still owe you tutorials to hair and make-up hacks. I’m still figuring out video. Writing’s so much easier!

Credits
Photo & layout by: Dressed Up Dreams
Post production & article by: Hanfugirl

Full text as below for easy reading:

Foot binding, the unlikely predecessor of the Stiletto (imho), was said to be invented by a courtesan about a thousand years ago in China (but of course!). This practice has always been closely associated with the 3-inch golden lotus shoes and the outdated oppression of women but it didn’t start out that way. When the Song dynasty women first bound their feet in the 10th Century, they simply wanted it to be narrower and slightly smaller, and didn’t resort to extreme body modification. It started merely as a fashion statement or a product of vanity, very much like the corsets and stilettos. Such a fashion evolved into fetish amongst the literati and slowly became mainstream aesthetics overtime.

Like many fashion trends, the aesthetics of foot binding followed the spirit of the era–stylised and minimalist. It was more important to be thin and narrow than arched and small (unlike the aesthetics of later centuries which resulted in the deformed lotus shoes that we are more familiar with). Everything about the Song aesthetics that prevailed during the 10th–13th century was a rebel against the excessive and showy aesthetics of the period before, and it was the beginning of women’s war against weight gain.

Because Hanfumaid was not a courtesan, entertainer or prostitute in the early 10th Century, nor was she from an elite family in the 13th Century, she came to the modern world with her full-fledged feet–feet so big, lumpy and full of curves and lines, that Song people would regard it the Quasimodo of female feet. For that reason (mainly), she spent most of her time at home, redeeming her unattractiveness by doing household chores back when (not where) she came from. The 21st Century Hanfumaid in Nanjing remains a Song dynasty woman in a modern day woman’s shoes, still confined to the domestic chores–things hasn’t seemed to change much over the last 1,000 year!

Dresses and blouses during Song dynasty were mainly straight cuts–sleeves and collars were all made up of parallel lines. And we all know, straight cuts are not flattering to women with curves, so women of that time pursued a lean physique. Shoes uncovered from the later part of the 13th Century were found to be as narrow as 4.5-5.8cm with lengths of about 14-17cm which were not entirely appalling sizes given that women were of smaller frame back then as well.

Then, like now, Hanfugirl would be gazing out of her window halfway through her chores, looking at women who paraded up and down the streets in the day for work and at night for leisure. Feminism hadn’t found its name yet, but it didn’t stop women from living the way they should. Women had full rights to marry and divorce freely, be educated and work independently, be empowered to reveal their cleavage freely… We have record to prove it!

While the Tang Dynasty was the age of power women, the Song Dynasty was the age of empowered women. Women were valued for their ability to read and write, and the multi-talented entertainers (Chinese equivalent of Geishas) were respected as equals by famous male literati of their time. Education, was indeed the greatest leveller across gender and social hierarchy, at least at the beginning.

When the pursuit of being objectified exceeded the pursuit for education, that’s when women lost their empowerment bit by bit. Overtime, the foot fetish of men caught up with their rationality, and women started making their feet smaller, and their worth were measured against the size of their feet. The matchmaker would bring a mock-up of the bride-to-be’s shoe to the groom-to-be’s house for inspection. Should the groom-to-be’s family find it unsatisfactorily big, they would cut one round around its sole, and send it back to the matchmaker, indirectly rejecting this proposal for marriage. As a result, the feet coincidentally also became like Cinderella’s ticket to the royal ball and the high life.

Now in case you were wondering, Song dynasty women didn’t need chaperons when they go out, or when they participate in the Chinese New  Year night festival (not to be confused with the Singapore Night Festival that happens every August) which was a hot spot for dating and meeting the opposite gender. Like Cinderella, Hanfumaid is likely to dress to the nines when she goes out for some me-time. Or, as in the case of some unsuspecting owners, Hanfumaid would be trying out the branded, fancy dresses in the house while the owners spend 90% of their waking hours climbing corporate ladders to afford those very dresses Hanfumaid was indulging herself in.

And because Hanfumaid is the antithesis of Hanfugirl, she has zero redeeming factor for her laziness, vulgar feet and aspirational outlook in life. The only purpose of her existence in this entire article, is to look busy, and drink Xiaoming. Xiaoming, the only drink for the undeserved.

#notsponsored
#neverwillbesponsoredatthisrate.

[Hanfugirl Christmas Edition] Becoming Sacred deers of ancient China

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Deers were regarded as sacred creatures in Chinese culture for thousands of years. Two mythological deers, in particular, captured the imagination of many ancient Chinese, and were very much like the unicorns and reindeers of the West. Since ’tis the season of traditions and deers, I thought of dedicating a piece on the two ancient creatures and how I reimagined them. The unconventional Chinese make-up and accessorising styles used have certain basis in history, so styling history buffs can skip to the bottom for details.

Otherwise, let’s start with the stories~

The first tale is the Chinese equivalent of a unicorn–the Deer of nine colours 九色鹿

Hidden in the deep caves along the once bustling silk road, where traders frequently passed by when travelling between the East (China) and the West (Central Asia) a thousand years ago… was a painting of a white-horn deer of nine colours. A deity that took the form of a deer, he was also the king of all deers (in another record, it was said that the king of deer was the past life of Buddha). His antler is as white as snow, and his skin a rainbow of nine colours. He would often rest by the riverbank, accompanied by little creatures of the wilderness.

Found this original artwork on Weibo. It’s absolutely gorgeous and I just have to share it. It’s modelled after the original Chinese animation film Deer with Nine Colours made in 1981.

One day, he heard cries for help in the nearby river and went to the drowning man’s rescue. Despite his unusual disposition and look, he did not have any magical power. It was a risk on his own life that he took, when he plunged into the river with strong current. The man was saved but the deer declined the drowning man’s offer of eternal servitude and instead, simply told the man to keep his identity a secret lest people hunt him for his skin (and of course, rare white antler).

One night, the queen dreamt of the deer with a sparkling coat of nine different colors and majestic antlers that shone bright white, glittering and translucent like jade.

Alas, human cannot be trusted in face of temptation. The queen dreamt of the deer of nine colours one night, and coerced/emotional blackmailed the king into agreeing to hunt the deer down so she could use it for her fur coat. So the king did as he promised, as all loving husbands would. And as all resourceful and rich husbands would, instead of doing it himself manually, the king offered a handsome reward for whoever could tip him off on the whereabouts of such a deer.

Driven by greed, the almost-drowned man volunteered offered his service. He brought the king and his men to the river where the deer often rested. There the deer was, defenceless and completely unaware of the danger that’s approaching him. When the king’s men had their bows out, ready to shoot him down.

The deer bellowed “HOLD IT! I have just one question”. And turned to the king, “how did you know to find me here?” The king, obviously didn’t sign any non-disclosure agreement with the almost-drowned man, pointed to the man in the far distance.

The Deer, extremely distraught, swept and told his story of betrayal to the king. After which, he told the king that he was ready to be killed. The king obviously didn’t kill the deer, and instead, persecuted the almost-drowned man for being such an ingrate.

This ancient myth reminds me a lot of Princess Mononoke. I’m pretty sure Hayao Miyazaki had the Deer of Nine colours in mind when he created the story. The cautionary tale of greed and human evilness.

I’m a terrible storyteller, so for a more dramatic and detailed story, you can visit HERE.

Tale of the deer with white horn and skin of 9 different colours in Dunhuang cave. Image courtesy of Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

Tale of the deer with white horn and skin of 9 different colours in Dunhuang cave. Image courtesy of Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

Then, there’s the Chinese reindeer–the Milu (麋鹿), also otherwise known as Pere David’s Deer. [NOTE: It is not the same as reindeer]

It doesn’t have an elaborate story as the Chinese unicorn, but the factual story of its near-distinction (actually for a while the entire specie was wiped out from China) and how it went from continent to continent and finally back to China after hundreds of years is a fascinating one.

We’ll start off with its mythological origin. It’s known as the 四不像 which literally translates to 1/4 of everything. It’s said to be a creature with a deer’s antlers, a horse’s face, a donkey’s tail, and a camel’s neck. Kind of hard to imagine, isn’t it?

Here you go. Completed with an action-packed donkey’s tail

The Milu guest-appeared in the Investiture of the Gods/ The Creation of Gods, a fantasy/historical/mythological Chinese novel which dates back to the 16th century. It was the mount (designated animal to ride) of Jiang Ziya–a main deity/god in the book who was sent down from heaven to assist the Ming dynasty emperor, and also to liaise between earth and heaven.

Milu is native to China with its natural habitat being the swamp area along the Yangtze river. Due to climate change (ah, yes, it happens throughout history too), it became endangered way back during Han Dynasty (2000 years ago). During the Mongol and Manchurian rule, these deers were rounded up in the royal hunting grounds, with none left in the wilderness. Due to negligence in taking care of the deer, at one point in the past few centuries, it dropped to as low as 18 herds (in the entire world! Rarer than the Giant Panda).

Its ‘Christian name’ Pere David was given in the 19th century when the French missionary introduced its existence to the Western world. Countries started to find all kinds of ways to get hold of this deer for their zoos. And thank goodness they did! War and famine caused the deer to be completely wiped out from China during the tumorous years of endless invasions. At the end of the 19th Century, an English royalty (11th Duke of Bedford) gathered all 18 of them scattered across Europe and made a conscientious effort to breed and multiply them to reach 255 by 1983 (of course one can’t possibly live that long, so his sons continued his great legacy).

It’s only in the ’80s that Milu returned to China. To date, there are only about 5,000 herds of Milu in the world.

Make-up and Accessorising like an ancient Chinese who worships deer

HEAD
Ancient Chinese used to wear deer antlers on their heads as early forms of accessories, and for auspicious reasons. Because deers shed their antlers and grow new ones every Spring, antlers took on the auspicious meaning of rejuvenation and a new beginning for the ancient Chinese. Several ancient artefacts from that era and later on had engravings or motif of a person/woman wearing antlers on their head.

FACE
Face-painting has been part and parcel of many ancient cultures. They were often used for ritualistic purposes or for warfare to ward off evil spirits. The habit of face-painting or decorating the face with different patterns and colours did not cease with more sophisticated development of make-up tools. Women were decorating their faces with fish scale, and all kinds of shiny, colourful things well into the Tang dynasty.  Qin Shihuang (First emperor) was said to love face painting/decorations as it was deemed to be marks of goddess. And he was particularly known for his futile attempt in finding the elixir of eternal life.

Ancient Chinese sculpture of a maiden with decorated face which dates to about 2,000 years ago.

In artefacts uncovered about 2,000 years ago, the Chinese were already using extremely sophisticated make-up and cleaning tools. They already had a box set of 5 or 7 make-up items during the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties (220-589 CE) which included foundation powder, hair brush, hair comb (finer teeth), eyebrow brush, mirror, facial towel etc.

Interestingly as well, women in China loved to have something decorative on their forehead in between their brows. It has always been deemed as a fashion started by a favoured concubine of some emperor in the ancient past, and nothing more, but I wonder if it’s got something to do with the influence of Indian culture through silk road as well. My Indian colleague told me that they believe that putting a red dot on the forehead is to awaken and unlock the power of the Chakra on your forehead. That’s also why I thought of putting an additional decoration there on top of those on my cheeks.

Ancient Chinese about 3,000 years ago liked to use deer antlers as accessories. It represented rejuvenation and deer were deemed as auspicious creatures. Their love for face painting also persisted for thousands of years.

DRESS
Since this is an reimagined personification of a mythical creature, I have decided to wear a style that is closer to the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties about 1,500 years ago. This is also particularly fitting because Buddhism (which is where the story of deer of nine colours came from) started to flourish in China during this era as well. While it was first introduced to Chinese in the period before (Han Dynasty), it never really took off because Chinese translations weren’t available–they were only phonetically transcribed during that time. So when a monk translated the Buddhist scriptures and stories from Sanskrit to Chinese during the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties, that’s when Buddhism really started to flourish in China.

It’s been a long post, thank you for your perseverance!

 

Ancient beauty brows to die for

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Literally.

It would be white-washing the history of Chinese make-up to believe that everything that’s used on the face was good for you. In fact, similar to the development of make-up in the West, often harmful ingredients from nature were extracted and used in pursuit of beauty, to the detriment of many.

Decided to do a post that touches on the harmful product and also the revolutionarily stunning eyebrows of the past. Reminds me of the theme of an exhibition in the National Museum of Singapore–Danger and Desire. I guess that’s the nature of… nature. dangerous, yet alluring.

I’m going to start talk about unconventional make-up with this particular poem by a famous Tang dynasty poet in the 8th century China （白居易 Bai JuYi, 772-846CE).

Styles of the Times（时世妆）

Styles of the times! Styles of the times!
Emerging from urban centers, are transmitted to the four quadrants.
What’s popular at the moment does not distinguish far from near;
Cheeks don’t show vermillion, faces aren’t powdered.
Dark lipstick emphasises lips, lips seem plastered;
Pairs of eyebrows painted to make a drooping symbol for “eight.”
Beauty and ugliness, black and white, lose their basic attitude;
Makeup completely finished, they look as if suppressing a shriek of lamentation.
Round hair coils without sidekicks: Heaped up chignon-style.

Inclined towards pink, used immoderately: ruddy face powder.

Formerly I heard that hair hanging down the back, along the Yi River,
If you’re unfortunate enough to see it, always signifies western tribes.
These fashions and hairdos of the Primal Harmony period [806-821] you capture in your record:
Hair in heaps and ruddy faces are not Chinese customs!

So, clearly the poet was extremely distressed at the sight of this “Styles of the Moment” makeup. I’ve shared briefly on Instagram that Tang dynasty women were greatly influenced by foreign cultures and that a particular style of makeup by Tibetans made its way into a poem by Bai Juyi. So this is the poem.

I’ve been wanting to reimagine the make-up styles that were so frowned upon by the poet (and probably many likes of him) during that era. It shows how daring and empowered women were in those days, and how open-minded and culturally diverse Tang dynasty was (of course, we must always bear in mind that whenever such claims are made, it usually applies to the capital city area and not the outskirts).

So, presenting my understanding of the portion in red. I’ll come to why the eyebrow’s blue later on. The necklace is what I made based on what’s uncovered from a Sui dynasty princess’ tomb, and one of the hairpieces was based on a Ming dynasty (1368-1644 CE) artefacts.

Cheeks don’t show vermillion, faces aren’t powdered.
Dark lipstick emphasises lips, lips seem plastered;
Pairs of eyebrows painted to make a drooping symbol for “eight.”

Next-up, is the second make-up described in the green portion.

Here, I’ve used a purplish eyebrow, and I will explain later on as well why. The use of peacock feather fan is to emphasise that exotic foreign factor in Tang dynasty makeup and influence. Influences from India, Tibet, Persia, etc. were all embraced by the trend-setters during that era.

Round hair coils without sidekicks: Heaped up chignon-style.
Inclined towards pink, used immoderately: ruddy face powder.

OK, so now the eyebrows. In case you wanna do your own Tang dynasty make-up, you can just pick a few from the chart below:

Eyebrow styles based on artefacts uncovered

It would be reasonable to assume that the eyebrow that resembles the figure 8 is the one that’s found on artefact from 742-806 CE. Looking at the period when this style of brow was found and the period when Bai Juyi wrote his poem (about half a century apart), it’s safe to deduce that women definitely would exercise flexibility in their styles of make-up. It’s not like a template of style A eyebrow + style B lips + style C makeup palette. They are most likely to be like what we do today–mix and match as we deem fit (intuitively so too)!

The blue/green eyebrow pigment/product is interesting because there’s the “imported” expensive type and the cheaper homemade type. The more expensive one was imported from Persia, and concubines of emperors would fight to use them. The price of the imported product was as high as one single piece for 10+ gold, and in Qing dynasty it soared to as much as 1000+ gold (the past life of bitcoins??😂) . The unit which was used for gold was unknown, but.. probably nothing I could afford anyway.

The cheaper homemade type, was made of oxidised copper. I googled the english term, and the chemical make-up of this byproduct is Verdigris (copper acetone). It was STILL expensive, but not as exorbitant as the imported one. So those not so favoured concubines, would get this product to use instead.

Because I’m hopeless in Chemistry, I’ll just try to explain why copper eyebrow pigment is bad for you. The copper green dissolves in water, but is toxic. If it touched on open cut of your skin, it is likely to infect the skin and cause skin irritation. Long term exposure to this element would cause heavy metal to enter your body and damage your haemoglobin, causing different degrees of anaemia or poisoning. (WOW! but not wow. Cos we still use a fair amount of lead in many modern day cosmetics anyway, especially skin whitening ones).

The blue is said to be similar to the kingfisher’s feathers. Which is also similar to Peacock feather colours.

The blue is said to be similar to the kingfisher’s feathers. Which is also similar to Peacock feather colours.

There is also a saying that the imported ingredient is from a purple flower from the mediterranean area, and the resultant colour was Tyrian purple. Because it’s from a type of sea snail/shellfish, it is thus also known as the Shell Brow Palette. The history of the Tyrian purple is interesting and worth a read in your leisure time as well.

Just to give you an idea of the colours that ancient Chinese women had known to have used for their eyebrows:
Red, yellow, blue, green, purple, black, dark grey.

In fact, the blue/green eyebrow was so prevalent throughout Tang dynasty, that in a record in post-Tang dynasty, it was mentioned that when Yang Guifei (one of the four ancient beauties in Chinese history) was sporting a white face with black eyebrows, everyone found it really avant-garde!

OK, so we’ve settled the blue, green, and purple eyebrow part. In case you need any more convincing, here’s an artefact from Dunhuang caves of a buddhisatva created around the Tang dynasty. Dunhuang was a major stopover/point for traders along the Silk Road, and a place of rich cultural exchange between China and the rest of the world.

Now, it’s the brick-red blusher, unblended. It’s an influence from the Tibetans. Tibetan men would paint their faces in such colour when going to war, and Tibetan women used to paint this product as well to protect their faces from the sandstorms/harsh weather. I saw pictures of women and men in this kind of make-up from Tibet in the early 20th century, but I think it is no longer popular.  Whatever it is, I think Tang dynasty women were the epitome of badasstry!

I mean look at the make-up! Almost-black lips, blue/green/purple eyebrows, brick-red unblended rouge…

Did I mention, my favourite Tang dynasty model Song Ge shares similar ancestry as the royalty of Tang dynasty (mixed blood of the North-West nomadic tribes and Han Chinese). She’s the real deal. lol. That’s why I love having her model for my plus size Tang dynasty beauty, cos she fits the ideal Tang beauty image. What she’s wearing is a more early Tang dynasty era style, though this make-up is supposed to be mid/late Tang dynasty. I admit that I have exercised quite a bit of artistic liberty in this pairing! 😛

When most articles end with a potato, I’ll end with Song Ge this time round.

P.S. In case you’re interested.

Original poem and further explanation in Chinese:

时世妆，时世妆，

出自城中传四方。

时世流行无远近，

腮不施朱面无粉。

乌膏注唇唇似泥，

双眉画作八字低。

妍媸黑白失本态，

妆成尽似含悲啼。

圆鬟无鬓堆髻样，

斜红不晕赭面状。

昔闻被发伊川中，

辛有见之知有戎。

元和妆梳君记取，

髻堆面赭非华风。