A Research On Structure Of Paired Aprons In Ch’ing Dynasty

Chinese women wore paired aprons in Ch’ing Dynasty. It is usually called “Ma Mianqun”as the Chinese name paired aprons. Two straight end-panels are called “Ma Mian”. Thereare many museums also collect paired aprons in the world. This issue is mainly reportedstructure of aprons in Ch’ing dynasty which collected in Ethnic Costumes Museum of BIFT.This thesis seeks to explore Chinese costume trough an investigation. This investigationfollowed some methods, such as, observation, classification, sampling, mapping, identification.Firstly, take photos of all these paired aprons to make a classification; Secondly, choose typicalones to measure and study; Thirdly, identify and make a sum.In second step, according to the archaeological objects unearthed and antiquity literatures,this thesis will recover the usage of aprons and modify the definition of paired aprons in Ch’ingdynasty. The paired aprons should be fastened in front of female’s body to make the front panelsin front and the rear panel behind. The earliest paired aprons image was found in thearchaeological objects of Liao dynasty. It appeared in Song dynasty, Yuan dynasty, Ming dynastyas well. Till Ch’ing dynasty, people have used borders to decorate straight end-panel and theedge of paired aprons.The paired aprons include paired aprons with phoenix-tail，paired aprons with borders andpaired aprons with box-pleated. Some paired aprons with borders have pleat across waist,someone don’t have. After watching this pleats, borders and paired aprons in other dynasty,many questions have been answered in this thesis, such as the relationship between paired apronsand paired aprons with phoenix-tail; the progress of paired aprons changed from Ming dynasty to Ch’ing dynasty; Man chu culture did affect the lappet aprons to be a popular costume in Ch’ingdynasty.The factor of paired aprons paired such like aprons with borders，paired aprons withphoenix-tail，paired aprons with box-pleated, can be summed up and recombined in other pairedaprons.At last, sum up the identification and say how to identify the paired aprons from fakeones in four aspects.