Shanku

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Illustration of a woman wearing shanku from 1800s.

Shanku (simplified Chinese: 衫裤; traditional Chinese: 衫褲), also known as samfu (or samfoo) in Cantonese spelling[1] and sometimes referred as aoku (simplified Chinese: 袄裤; traditional Chinese: 襖褲),[2][3] is a generic term which refers to a two-piece set of Chinese attire; it is composed of a Chinese upper garment which typically closes on the right called shan (Chinese: 衫) or ao (simplified Chinese: 袄; traditional Chinese: 襖), and a pair of long trousers ku (simplified Chinese: 裤; traditional Chinese: 褲).[1][4] The term "duanda" (Chinese: 短打), "duanhe" (Chinese: 短褐; lit. 'short brown') or "shuhe" (Chinese: 竖褐; lit. 'vertical brown') refers to the set of upper garment (which is generally above and below the hips and knees) and trousers made of coarse clothe which was generally worn for manual labour (e.g. farm work) and by martial artists.[5] The generic term kuxi/kuzhe (Chinese: 袴褶) is used to typically refer to military or riding style attire which is composed of a jacket and trousers.[6][7][8]

Shanku was a daily form of attire which was mainly worn by people from lower social status (e.g. labourers)[9][10] and by shopkeepers or retainers from wealthy household[11] in China. It was originally worn by both genders.[4] Up until the mid-20th century, it was popular in China and outside of China where it was worn by overseas Chinese in countries,[1] such as Singapore,[1] Malaysia,[9] Suriname,[12] etc. It is still worn in present-day China and can be found in rural areas.[4][1]

Design and Construction[]

The shan and the ku were made of similar fabrics.[4] However, the two garments were sometimes made separately and did not belong to the same set of clothing.[4]

Illustration of shan (衫) from the Chinese encyclopedia Gujin Tushu Jicheng, between 1700 and 1725 AD.

Characteristics of shanku[]

The shanku is composed of:

  • Shan (Chinese: 衫) /ao (simplified Chinese: 袄; traditional Chinese: 襖) / ru (Chinese: 襦):[13] a Chinese upper garment, which typically has a side fastening to the right,[14][4]
    • Prior to the Qing dynasty, the upper garment were cross-collared which closed to the right as the ones worn in Ming dynasty and the previous dynasties instead of the curved/slanted opening which was commonly worn in the late Qing.[15]
    • The shan could have a mandarin collar,[14]
    • The shan could be long-sleeved, short-sleeved,[16] or sleeveless[14] depending on the time period. The sleeves could be wide or narrow depending on styles and time period.[15]
    • The shan varied in length depending on the time period - it could be tight-length.[4]
  • Ku (裤): a pair of long trousers which could be loose or narrow.[4] There are many types of ku.[17]

Fitting[]

The shanku is traditionally loose in terms of fitting.[16] However, due to the influence of Western fashion, it became more tight fitting in the 1950s and 1960s.[16]

Colours[]

The shanku was typically dyed in black, blue or grey.[4] The waistband of the ku was typically made of lighter coloured fabric, such as blue or white.[4] However, the colours of the shanku could vary depending on ethnic groups.[4]

History and development[]

Pre-Warring States period[]

In the Neolithic period, the ku were known as jingyi (Chinese: 胫衣) and was the original form of the ku.[17] The form of the Neolithic jingyi was different from the trousers worn nowadays. The jingyi came in pairs like shoes.[17] They were knee-high trousers which were tied on the calves and only covered the knees and the ankles; thus allowing its wearer's thighs to be exposed; due to this reason, ancient Chinese wore yishang on top of their jingyi to cover their lower body.[17] The jingyi continued to be worn until the early Han dynasty.[17]

In Shang dynasty, the slaveholders wore upper garments which closed to the right side with trousers or skirts.[18]

Warring States period[]

During the Warring States period, trousers with loose rise, known as kun (Chinese: 裈), was introduced in Central China by King Wuling of Zhao.[17] The nomadic clothes adopted by King Wuling consisted of trousers, belts, and short upper garment.[19] The trousers with loose rise which was adopted from the clothing of northern nomadic people was mainly worn by the military troops and servants while the general population typically continued to wear jingyi.[17] King Wuling was known for wearing foreigner style long trousers and upper garments wth narrow sleeves.[20] The nomadic-style kun never replaced the ku and was only worn by military and by the lower class.[17]

Under the influence of the kun, the jingyi evolved until the thighs were lengthened to cover the thighs forming the ku and a waist enclosure was added; however, the ku had an open rise and rear which would allowed for excretion purposes.[17] Since the ku had an open rise and rear, the yishang continued to be worn on top of the ku.[17] Compared to the nomadic kun, the ku was well-accepted by the Chinese as it was more aligned with the Han Chinese tradition.[17]

The nomadic-style loose rise trousers (i.e. kun) later influenced the formation of other forms of trousers such as dashao (i.e. trousers with extremely wide legs) and dakouku (i.e. trousers with tied strings under the knees).[17]

Qin dynasty[]

In Qin dynasty, short clothing became more common and trousers were generally worn from what can be observed from the unearthed Qin dynasty tomb figures.[20] Trousers ku was worn with jackets ru (Chinese: 襦), also known as shangru (Chinese: 上襦) along with daru (Chinese: 大襦; outerwear).[21] The trousers were often wide at the top and narrower at the bottom and could be find with rise.[21] Terracotta warriors, for example, wears a long robe which is worn on top of skirt and trousers.[22]

  • Recreated coloured terracotta warriors of the Qin dynasty. During this period, skirts (qun; 裙), jackets (shangru/ru, 上襦/襦), outerwear (daru 大襦), and trousers (ku 袴) were worn.[23]

Han dynasty[]

A long robe called shenyi was worn since the Spring and Autumn periods.[17] Since the Han dynasty, trousers with rise became more common.[24]

As trousers with rise gradually started to be worn, the zhijupao (a type of straight-hem gown, a type shenyi) of the Han dynasty replaced the qujupao (a curved-hemmed gown, a type of shenyi).[25] While shenyi was mainly worn for formal occasions, men wore an upper garment called ru (襦; a waist-length upper garment) and trousers in their ordinary days while women wore ruqun.[19] Manual labourers tended to be wear even shorter upper garment and lower garment as due to their convenient use for work.[20]

The trousers dashao, dakouku and qiongku were worn in the Han dynasty.[17]

The dashao was worn with a loose robe (either shenyi or paofu) in the Han dynasty by both military and civil officials.[17]

The dakouku had a closed rise.[17]

The qiongku is a type of ku which covered the hips and legs and its rise and hips regions were closed at the front and multiple strings were used to tie it at the back of its wearer; it was made for palace maids.[17] The qiongku continued to be worn for a long period of time, and was even worn in the Ming dynasty.[17]

  • Horseman wearing white trouses with a red upper garment, from a Han Dynasty Tomb.

  • Red trousers and black upper garments, Dahunting Eastern Han tomb.

  • Servant wearing a pair of red trousers. By his side, a man wearing white trousers with rise.

  • A soldier, Han dynasty.

Wei, Jin, Northern, and Southern dynasties[]

In the early medieval period of China (220-589 AD), male and female commoners commoners (e.g. servants and field labourers) wore a full-sleeved, long jacket (either waist or knee length) with cross-collar closing to the right with was tied with a belt.[26] Full trousers with slightly tempered cuffs or trousers which were tied just below the knees were worn under the jacket.[26] The trousers bounded at knees allowed for greater ease of movement.[26] Common women could either wear skirts or trousers under their jackets.[26]

In the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties, the dakouku, especially the ones with a wide bottom, became popular among aristocrats and commoners alike.[17]

Kuzhe (袴褶), sometimes referred as kuxi (袴褶) which is literally translated as "jacket and trousers",[6] is a set of attire which consisted of the dakouku and tight-fitting upper garment which reached the knee.[17] It was a popular form of clothing and was worn by both genders, and it was worn in by both military and civil officials in the Northern and Southern dynasties.[17] The dakouku in this period also had closed-rise.[17] The trousers with cords below the knees appeared in Western Jin to increase ease of movements when horseback riding or when on military duty.[6] This style of ku was however not a stylistic invention from the Northern people and were not a form of nomad clothing.[6]

The kuzhe (袴褶) which appeared in the late Northern dynasty, was created by assimilating non-Han cultures in order to create a new design which reflected the Han Chinese culture.[17] During this period, the nomadic tribes, which also wore their own styles of kuzhe, ended up being influenced by the Han Chinese style due to the multiculturalism aspect of this period.[17]

  • Shanku (left) and ruqun (middle and right), Three Kingdoms period.

  • Male commoner wearing a long knee-length jacket and trousers, Western Jin Dynasty (265–316 CE)

  • Xianbei female warrior wearing trousers and upper garment.

  • Servants wearing top and trousers while aristocrats wear paofu and guiyi, Northern Wei painting.

  • Tomb Brick of Wei, Jin, or Southern-Northern Dynasties

  • Men wearing shanku. Painting from Yanju's tomb, also known as Jiuquan Dingjia Gate No. 5 Tomb, 5th century AD.

Sui to Tang dynasties[]

In Sui-Tang dynasty, the kuzhe became popular.[17] However, in Tang dynasty, the trousers which were worn by men were mainly worn with a robe (i.e. paofu).[17]

  • Sui dynasty attendant.

Song dynasty- Yuan dynasty[]

In Song dynasty, labourers who performed heavy tasks preferred to wear short jackets and trousers due to its convenience.[27] A new type of ku, known as xiku (i.e., knee-length trousers, also known as kuwa) became popular in the Song and Yuan dynasties but was sometimes banned by the emperors.[17] Narrow trousers, known as xiaoku, was also worn by the general population during this period.[17] In Yuan dynasty, scholars and commoners wore Mongol-style kuzhe (i.e. the Mongol terlig) which was braided at the waists and had pleats and narrow-fitting sleeves.[7]

  • A woman (in the middle) wearing a shanku with an apron; a Song dynasty painting.

  • Peasant men wearing shanku, Song dynasty painting.

  • Seller wearing shanku.

  • A man wearing shanku vs men wearing paofu.

Ming dynasty[]

In Ming dynasty, the trousers with open-rise and close-rise were worn by men and women.[17] Women in Ming continued to wear trousers under their skirts.[17]

In the late Ming dynasty, jackets with high collars started to appear.[28] The standup collar were closed with interlocking buttons made of gold and silver,[29] called zimukou (Chinese: 子母扣).[30] The appearance of interlocking buckle promoted the emergence and the popularity of the standup collar and the Chinese jacket with buttons at the front, and laid the foundation of the use of Chinese knot buckles.[29] In women garments of the Ming dynasty, the standup collar with gold and silver interlocking buckles became one of the most distinctive and popular form of clothing structure; it became commonly used in women's clothing reflecting the conservative concept of Ming women's chastity by keeping their bodies covered and due to the climate changes during the Ming dynasty (i.e. the average temperature was low in China).[29]

  • Ming dynasty portrait of a person wearing white trousers and blue top.

  • Fisherman, Ming dynasty painting.

Qing dynasty - 19th Century[]

In Qing dynasty, Han Chinese women who wore shanku without wearing a skirt on top of their trousers were typically people born from the lower social class.[31] Otherwise, they would wear trousers under their skirts which is in accordance with the traditions since the Han dynasty.[17]

The high collar jacket continued to be worn in Qing, but it was not a common feature until the 20th century.[28] In the late Qing, the high collar become more popular and was integrated to the jacket and robe of the Chinese and the Manchu becoming a regular garment feature instead of an occasional feature. For the Han Chinese women, the stand-up collar became a defining feature of their long jacket; this long jacket with high collar could be worn over their trousers but also over their skirts (i.e. aoqun). The high collar remained a defining feature of their jacket even in the first few years of the republic.[28]

In the 19th century, the shan was long in length and the trousers ku was wide.[4] In the late 19th century, men stopped wearing the shan which closes to the right and started wearing a jacket with a central-opening which looks similar to the Tangzhuang.[4]

  • Qing dynasty men wearing shanku, before 1912 AD.

  • A woman wearing a white shan/ao and dark coloured ku.

  • Woman wearing a blue ao/shan and pink trousers.

  • A lady's maid.

  • Child's shanku.

  • shanku outfit, late 19th century

20th Century[]

In the 20th century, the 19th century long shan gradually became shorter and become more fitted.[4] The neckband of the shan was also narrow.[4] Sleeveless and short-sleeved shanku also existed in the 20th century.[14][16]

In the 1950s, women of the lower status and those worked on farms would sometimes wear shanku which was decorated with floral patterns and checks.[4] People living in urban areas started to wear western clothing while people in rural areas continued to wear shanku.[4] In Hong Kong, shanku continued to be worn when people were away from their workplace.[4]

During the Great Leap Forward, the Mao suit became popular. but it was not expected for children to wear the Mao suit.[4] While in cities, children started to wear Western style clothing, the children in the rural areas continued to wear the traditional shanku which were made of cotton checked fabrics, stripe fabrics, or other patterned fabrics.[4]

Ethnic clothing[]

Han Chinese[]

Both Han Chinese women and men of the labouring classes wore shanku.[10] The trousers, which could be found either narrow or wide, were a form of standard clothing for the Han Chinese.[10]

Hakka[]

The Hakka people wears shanku as their traditional clothing;[32] both Hakka men and women wear it.[33] The preferred colours of the Hakka shanku is typically blue and black.[33]

Hoklo[]

The Hoklo people wears shanku which is composed of fitted-style of shan which has a deeply curved hem and black-coloured trousers ku.[4] Their shan was characterized by the bands decoration at the sleeves edges and at the garment opening as well as the collar of the shan which was very narrow and also consisted of piping rows.[4] They typically wore bright colours such as light blue as every day wear while colours such as purple, deep blue, deep turquoise were reserved for special occasions.[4]

Tanka[]

The Tanka people also wear shanku which is distinctive in style wherein the shan and the ku matched in colour; they prefer wearing colours which are lighter and brighter, such as pale green, pale blue, turquoise, yellow and pink.[4] These lighter colours tended to be preferred by younger women or by newly married women; they were also worn on special occasions.[4] On the other hand, darker colours were favoured by older women.[4]

Gallery[]

Influences and derivatives[]

Vietnam[]

In the 15th century (from 1407 to 1478), the Vietnamese women adopted Chinese trousers under the occupation of the Ming dynasty.[34][35] During the 17th and 18th century, Vietnam was divided in two regions with the Nguyen lords ruling the South. The Nguyen lords ordered that southern men and women had to wear Chinese-stye trousers and long front-buttoning tunics to differentiate themselves from the people living in the North. This form of outfit developed with time over the next century becoming the precursor of the aodai, the outfit generally consisted of trousers, loose-fitting shirt with a stand-up collar and a diagonal right side closure which run from the neck to the armpit; these features were inspired by the Chinese and the Manchu clothing.[34]

In the pre-20th century, Vietnamese people of both sexes continue to maintain old Ming-style of Chinese clothing consisting of a long and loose knee-length tunics and ankle-length, loose trousers.[36] In the 1920s, the form ensemble outfit was refitted to become the Vietnamese dress female national dress, aodai.[36] The modern-day aodai is a uniquely Vietnamese dress which shows the adoption of foreign cultures, i.e. to both Chinese and French colonization influences.[34][35]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Samfu | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  2. ^ Finnane, Antonia (2008). Changing clothes in China : fashion, history, nation. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-231-14350-9. OCLC 84903948.
  3. ^ "Evolution and revolution: Chinese dress 1700s-1990s - Glossary". archive.maas.museum. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Garrett, Valery (2012). Chinese Dress : From the Qing Dynasty to the Present. New York: Tuttle Pub. ISBN 978-1-4629-0694-9. OCLC 794664023.
  5. ^ "What did Ancient Chinese Peasants Wear? - 2021". www.newhanfu.com. 2020-04-27. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
  6. ^ a b c d Dien, Albert E. (2007). Six dynasties civilization. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press. p. 319. ISBN 978-0-300-07404-8. OCLC 72868060.
  7. ^ a b Chen, BuYun (2019), Riello, Giorgio; Rublack, Ulinka (eds.), "Wearing the Hat of Loyalty: Imperial Power and Dress Reform in Ming Dynasty China", The Right to Dress: Sumptuary Laws in a Global Perspective, c.1200–1800, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 416–434, doi:10.1017/9781108567541.017, ISBN 978-1-108-47591-4, retrieved 2021-06-03
  8. ^ Finnane, Antonia (2008). Changing clothes in China : fashion, history, nation. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-231-14350-9. OCLC 84903948.
  9. ^ a b Koh, Jaime (2009). Culture and customs of Singapore and Malaysia. Lee-Ling Ho. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood Press. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-313-35115-0. OCLC 318420874.
  10. ^ a b c Finnane, Antonia (2008). Changing clothes in China : fashion, history, nation. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-231-14350-9. OCLC 84903948.
  11. ^ Finnane, Antonia (2008). Changing clothes in China : fashion, history, nation. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. xviii. ISBN 978-0-231-14350-9. OCLC 84903948.
  12. ^ Tjon Sie Fat, Paul Brendan (2009). Chinese new migrants in Suriname : the inevitability of ethnic performing. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. pp. 276–277. ISBN 978-90-485-1147-1. OCLC 647870387.
  13. ^ Finnane, Antonia (2008). Changing clothes in China : fashion, history, nation. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-231-14350-9. OCLC 84903948.
  14. ^ a b c d "Sleeveless 'samfoo' with a floral motif". www.roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  15. ^ a b Jiang, Wanyi; Li, Zhaoqing (2021-01-06). "Analysis on Evolution, Design and Application of Women's Traditional Coats in Beijing in the Late Qing Dynasty and the Early Republic of China". Atlantis Press: 641–648. doi:10.2991/assehr.k.210106.123. ISBN 978-94-6239-314-1. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. ^ a b c d "Traditional Chinese 'samfoo'". www.roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae Xu, Rui; Sparks, Diane (2011). "Symbolism and Evolution of Ku-form in Chinese Costume". Research Journal of Textile and Apparel. 15 (1): 11–21. doi:10.1108/rjta-15-01-2011-b002. ISSN 1560-6074.
  18. ^ Feng, Ge (2015). Traditional Chinese rites and rituals. Zhengming Du. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 1-4438-8783-8. OCLC 935642485.
  19. ^ a b Feng, Ge (2015). Traditional Chinese rites and rituals. Zhengming Du. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 16. ISBN 1-4438-8783-8. OCLC 935642485.
  20. ^ a b c Xu, Zhuoyun (2012). China : a new cultural history. Timothy Danforth Baker, Michael S. Duke. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-231-15920-3. OCLC 730906510.
  21. ^ a b Hao, Peng; Ling, Zhang (2018). "On "Skirts" and "Trousers" in the Qin Dynasty Manuscript Making Clothes in thh Collection of Peking University". Chinese Cultural Relics. 5 (1): 248–268. doi:10.21557/CCR.54663802. ISSN 2330-5169 – via East View.
  22. ^ . Yuanfeng Liu, Frances Corner; China Textile & Apparel Press (Editors). "A study on skirt construction in qin dynasty" (PDF). 18th Annual IFFTI Conference. The International Foundation of Fashion Technology Institutes: 199–205. 2016.CS1 maint: others (link)
  23. ^ "On "Skirts" and "Trousers" in the Qin Dynasty Manuscript Making Clothes in the Collection of Peking University". Chinese Cultural Relics. 5 (1): 248–268. 2018. doi:10.21557/CCR.54663802 – via East View.
  24. ^ Hua, Mei (2011). Chinese clothing (Updated ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom. p. 14. ISBN 0-521-18689-7. OCLC 781020660.
  25. ^ Zang, Yingchun; 臧迎春. (2003). Zhongguo chuan tong fu shi. 李竹润., 王德华., 顾映晨. (Di 1 ban ed.). Beijing: Wu zhou chuan bo chu ban she. p. 32. ISBN 7-5085-0279-5. OCLC 55895164.
  26. ^ a b c d Early medieval China : a sourcebook. Wendy Swartz, Robert Ford Campany, Yang Lu, Jessey Jiun-Chyi Choo. New York. 2014. p. 435. ISBN 0-231-53100-1. OCLC 873986732.CS1 maint: others (link)
  27. ^ Hua, Mei; 华梅 (2004). Zhongguo fu shi (Di 1 ban ed.). Beijing: Wu zhou chuan bo chu ban she. p. 53. ISBN 7-5085-0540-9. OCLC 60568032.
  28. ^ a b c Finnane, Antonia (2008). Changing clothes in China : fashion, history, nation. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 93–94. ISBN 978-0-231-14350-9. OCLC 84903948.
  29. ^ a b c Hao, Xiao’ang; Yin, Zhihong (2020). "Research on Design Aesthetics and Cultural Connotation of Gold and Silver Interlocking Buckle in the Ming Dynasty". Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Art Studies: Science, Experience, Education (ICASSEE 2020). Paris, France: Atlantis Press. doi:10.2991/assehr.k.200907.030.
  30. ^ "Zimu Kou - Exquisite Ming Style Hanfu Button - 2021". www.newhanfu.com. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  31. ^ Hua, Mei; 华梅 (2004). Zhongguo fu shi (Di 1 ban ed.). Beijing: Wu zhou chuan bo chu ban she. p. 82. ISBN 7-5085-0540-9. OCLC 60568032.
  32. ^ República of China (2010). Taiwan yearbook 2010. Taiwan: Govermment Information Office. p. 237. ISBN 978-986-02-5278-1. OCLC 706219891.
  33. ^ a b "Hakka Clothing". club.ntu.edu.tw. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  34. ^ a b c Steele, Valerie (2005). Encyclopedia of clothing and fashion. Farmington Hills, MI: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 61. ISBN 0-684-31394-4. OCLC 55085919.
  35. ^ a b Encyclopedia of national dress : traditional clothing around the world. Jill Condra. Santa Barbara, Calif. 2013. p. 760. ISBN 978-0-313-37637-5. OCLC 843418851.CS1 maint: others (link)
  36. ^ a b Reid, Anthony (2015). A history of Southeast Asia : critical crossroads. Chichester, West Sussex. p. 285. ISBN 978-1-118-51295-1. OCLC 893202848.
Retrieved from ""