| As one of the most important costumes in the Qing dynasty, the dragon robe has always been noticed by scholars and collectors in Chinese textile history, costume history and relic as a mirror reflecting the weaving and embroidering technique of its age. As the prototype of the dragon robe, the traditional Manchu robe had always been in evolution till middle age of Qianlong when the name called Jifu was given. By now, the most of relics have been dated to middle or late Qing, so there are rare studies on 1616AD-1766AD period. With historical, archaeological, typological and statistical researching methods used to analyze historical materials and available relics, the origination of Qing dynasty dragon robe, the evolution of concerning code, the making and manufacturing process, as well as the evolution of motifs’type and style were discussed in detail. Then the methods and references for the dating of dragon robe in early Qing dynasty were provided.The research on the tradition of Manchu’s costumes is the fundamental prerequisite of this study. For the first time, all the textiles including costumes recorded in <Man Wen Lao Dang>,<Man Zhou Shi Lu> and other files are carefully classified, the names were texturally researched, the outfits and codes were studied, the types were illustrated, the comparisons among similar items were done. Then an overall discussion on Houjin reign costumes and ornaments was done as well as the original style of Qing dynasty dragon robe was reverted.The research of Qing dynasty costume code was the key point. A collecting, comparison and analyzing on the five editions of Da Qing Hui Dian has established a three-dimensional coordinate and the axes are time, people and costume. The costume of any ranked character in certain period could be found in this system. This proved that the Qing dynasty dragon robe was from Houjin, formed in Shunzhi, developing during Kangxi, matured in Yongzheng and finally styled in middle age of Qianlong. This conclusion supported the following researches on the motifs of Qing dynasty dragon robe.The research on the structure, the manufacturing and the motif style of dragon robe was the core of this study. Firstly, historical, mathematic and typological method were combined together to serve both qualitative and quantitative analysis on fundamental structure of the dragon robe; secondly, the making process from drawing to the sewing of dragon robe was discussed. Moreover, the seven types and making skills for the lower middle sleeves were analyzed with the relics for the first time, as well as a group of formulas found in the documents of Qing dynasty called <Huang Chao Guan Fu Zhi> were analyzed and tested, then the rules of blue dying were given based on the study of archives; thirdly, much effort were endeavored in the studies concerning the ornamentation and the motif syle of the early Qing dynasty dragon robe, it included methodology study, selecting and measuring the samples, data calculation and analysis, character and rules drawing. Conclusions mainly included:all the early Qing dynasty dragon robe could be classified into two categories which could be further divided into eight styles; the motifs were layered which reflected the three-dimensional design idea; the evolution of the motif followed the course of skill developing from simulation, to combination, to symbolic design, to formulated design; the amount and the location of the symbols on the dragon robe of emperor Yongzheng were proved, the misunderstanding of "seven symbols" in documents was corrected as twelve sybols. Based on the the work of synthesizing former conclusions,a new process and method of dating was put forward, as well as a new integrated factor system was built up. The robe should be sure a dragon robe at first, then the factors such as the codes, the silhouette, workmanship and ornamental style should be used together with the historical background, and then an item was dated. There were no primary and secondary relationships among these factors in a practical running. Furthermore, due to the unknown delay between the weaving of the fabric and the sewing up of the dragon robe, the yellow tag could not tell absolutely truth.The typical factors for dating based on pattern is:An item of early Shunzhi, blocked clouds pattern, the sitten dragon varioued in its poseture, with sharp eyebows and colored breastplate, the tail of the layer clouds was samll or removed; in late Shunzhi and early Kangxi, chained clouds appeared, the dragon has a shoe-shaped face with cockeye, thin body with color band at the edge of abdomen; in late Kangxi and early Yongzheng, "壬" type clouds was typical, the dragon’s eyebows tails draped, its chin was small, the dorsal fin became chained; in Yongzheng period, together with the blocked clouds, the stiffened branched clouds with burl on the head dominated the motif. The dragon face had teeth-shaped thorns with a pig’s nose. The layer clouds was formulated, its tail was seperated from the body; to the Qianlong period, big branched clouds, amounts of fire pattern and bat pattern were appeared, the dragon ears inner ourline curved to a different direction from that in Youngzheng period, at the bottom of robe the tail stood away from the body of cloud, standing water curve became small and stright. More detailed standards should be checked in the paper if all above could not serve a perfect dateing.Finally, according to this dating factors system, several relics of early Qing dynasty were dated. For example, with an analysis on the motif and the weaving and embroidery technique, the dragon robe excavated from the tomb of Rongxian princess was dated to the early Yongzhen period and named "Robe of Rongxian Princess with Eight Dragon Roundels Embroidered with Tiny Pearls on a Yellow Satin Ground". According to the motif, another robe abroad which was called "dragon robe excavated from the tomb of Guo prince" is roughly dated to the late Yongzhen period or early Qianlong period.A work concerning great amount of documents collecting and analyzing in which the documents about coustume codes and dyeing techonoloty were found for the first time, served both the paper research and more posibilities in further studies in costume of Qing dynasty at the same time. In addition, all these works has been in use in an exahibition of certain museum, as well as in dating a Qing dynasty dragon robe. It was believed that this paper would be available in later reverting work of costume from certain period of Qing dynasty. |
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