Chuci Clothing Aesthetics Study

This Paper explored the aesthetic consciousness of people in Chu State during the Warring State Period of China, on the basis of the costumes described in Chu Ci, an anthology of Chinese verse. Specifically, in the light of Chu Ci and unearthed relics, this Paper sorted out and summarized the formal features of Chu costumes from clothes, shoes and hats to makeup, adornments, textures, materials and others. On this basis, it studied the aesthetic features of Chu costumes reflected in Chu Ci, namely, decency and nature, elegance and sublime, as well as diversification and uniform. Also, the Paper dug up the origin of aesthetic ideas of Chu costumes, where it generated and developed, based on the geological culture (physical geography, social and cultural geography) of Chu State. From the perspective of aesthetic history of Chinese costume culture, the Paper further studied those aesthetic ideas by vertical comparison with the ideas of various sophisticated philosophers (mainly including Confucius, Laozi and Mozi) in pre-Qin period and horizontal comparison with the ideas reflected in the Classic of Poetry (Shi Jing). Moreover, this Paper analyzed the historical values of aesthetic ideas of Chu Costumes, combining the effects of those aesthetic ideas upon the later ages."Armed with long sword","wearing high haps","dressing colorful attire" and "perfumed with pleasant fragrance", the features of Chu costumes were concluded as "colorful and well-adorned with fragrance striking the nose" in Chu Ci, which conveyed the unique way of Chu people appreciating the beauty. Generally, the aesthetic ideas of costumes that Chu people sought for was the perfect integration of formal beauty and spiritual beauty, selection between elegance and sublime, as well as the harmony and uniform of kindness and beauty, no matter whether the sensorial beauty of the costumes’ form or the implied beauty assimilating the nature was highlighted. Geological aesthetic views are the creative reflection of specific natural geological environment as well as social and cultural environment in people’s mind. For this reason, the generation and development of the costumes described in Chu Ci can never be separated from the geological aesthetic views of Chu State, in the south of China at that time. Furthermore, the influences of Chu costumes, never being erased with the running time, can be found throughout the entire history of Chinese costume culture after the Warring State Period. On one hand, later costumes with characteristics of Chu costumes all share one feature-seeking for beauty and purity. On the other, the effects of Chu Ci on later costumes are primarily manifested in spirit and temperament. With respect to aesthetics, Chu costumes not only inspire us to appreciate beautiful women, but also enlighten us to respect and love ourselves. In a word, Chu Ci created the costume aesthetic culture of "dressing as elegant as water lily, as outstanding as lotus" and displayed a colorful costume world, which was "colorful and well-adorned with fragrance striking the nose",...