An Analysis Of The Hierarchy Of Official Costume In The Early Tang Dynasty Through Materials,Symbols And Ornaments

Clothing is one of the external representations of the etiquette and hierarchy in ancient China.It has special cultural connotations such as symbol of fame,distinction between honor and inferiority,and can reflect the social order of the feudal dynasty to a certain extent.As the representative of ancient clothing,the official costume has become a tool for rulers of past dynasties to Strictly distinguish between internal and external,relatives and estrangements,and maintain hierarchical differences because of its distinctive shape and solemn usage regulations.The evolution of the form and system of official costume exist in the feudal dynasty,a series of "clothing orders" issued in the early Tang Dynasty established a strict system of official costume with distinct levels,which had an important historical position as a connecting link between the preceding and the following.Therefore,the discussion of the official costume system in the early Tang Dynasty has important reference value in the study of clothing history.Based on historical records,this article selects the materials,symbols,and ornaments of the official costume of the early Tang Dynasty,points out the hierarchical nature of the bureaucrat,and analyzes the concepts of superior and inferior contained in the official costume.From the perspective of materials,the early Tang Dynasty witnessed a rich variety of official costume materials.High-level official costumes’ materials mainly composed of damask,yarn,and "Luo",low-level official costumes’ materials mainly composed of "Juan"and "Shi",there is a significant difference in fineness between the two.The production of materials mainly comes from two sources:court weaving and local tribute,representing the most advanced weaving and dyeing technology at that time.The color of the material reflects a distinct hierarchy.Since then,The rule that only emperors can wear yellow official costume,officials wear purple,scarlet,green,and cyan colors according to their grades,which is known as the color grading system.From the perspective of symbols,the twelve kinds of symbols include "Sun,Moon,Stars,Dragon,Mountain,Huachong,Fire,Zongyi,Algae,Fenmi,Fu,Fu",which have profound hierarchical implications,the quantity of the symbols in official costumes shows the rank and position of emperor and officials,the emperor’s official costumes can use twelve symbols,and officials’ costumes can be demoted to two symbols according to their rank.From the perspective of ornaments,The ornaments on the waist include leather belts and large belts,and the carry-on ornaments include "PanNang",sword,pendant,ribbon,wat,and fish bag pioneered in the early Tang Dynasty,their differences in quantity,size,color,material,and decoration reflect the hierarchical characteristics of the Tang Dynasty bureaucratic system.The hierarchical differences in official costumes during the early Tang Dynasty were not only an external reflection of official grades in clothing,but also a manifestation that the imperial power’s personal management of individuals had penetrated into all aspects of creature comforts.The internal order of the bureaucratic class in the early Tang Dynasty,revealed from the perspective of clothing,is a four-tiered hierarchical structure with the emperor as the highest level,and with three or more grades,five or more grades,and six or less grades as the dividing line.