| Manchu has history longer than 2,000 years.Most time in the history,Manchurian ancestors lived in the area of Northeastern China,commonly described as "white mountain and black water".They lived totally on hunting and fishing,was far behind Han race in economy and culture.Their isolated and unenlightened life,constructed special and stable characters of the race,which is mainly reflected in apparel culture.Even the apparel technology(craft)was changed according to the development of society and economy,the main attributes of Manchurian apparel culture was saved and developed as the represent of Chinese apparel culture.The main material of Manchurian ancestors’ apparel was made of hides,the main form of clothes was gowns.The craft traits of clothes in this period could be concluded as:one component in material,aimed at practical use,craft in making fur was mature gradually,the aesthetic awareness of apparel was sprouted.After Nuchen founded Jin Dynasty,the rulers managed to develop textile technology,textile’s supply was increased remarkably.However,the main form of clothes was still gowns.At the same time,rulers followed Han race to built dress system,which embedded political function in apparel.When Manchurian founded Qing dynasty,dress system was became extremely strict,the political function was given all scope.Thus,the only part that can be innovated was decoration.As a result,more and more decoration was done on clothes,even over decorated.Behind the complicated decoration,the craft progressed a lot,such as Manchurian embroidery.When came to the time of Republican China,Manchurian apparel lost its ruling status,only the women’s Mandarin gown(Qipao)was saved,but in plain form without any decoration rather than the over decorated ones in late Qing Dynasty.Then,shanghai-style Qipao was formed in 1930s’ Shanghai.Shanghai-style Qipao was tailored like traditional way in one piece,but at the same time used western Dart-method in chest and waist design.Shanghai-style Qipao model the classic pattern of Qipao which we admired today.After 1940s,Qipao culture was re-flourished in Hongkong,and was spread to the western world.Although there was some misunderstanding in transmission,the core of spirit was conserved.Today,Qipao has become a typical culture symbol of Chinese apparel culture,which is beyond races and brace the world.According to our research,we can say that,at the primary stage of Manchurian apparel technology(craft),material was only one component,craft was simple just for practical use;at the developing stage,materials became abundant,technologies became multiple and complex;Since Qing Dynasty,it came into the prosperity stage,the political function of dress system help to preserve the traditional culture objectively.Besides,technologies in material manufacturing.textile and decoration had progressed a lot;Since the Republican period,dress system was abolished,and western apparel technologies was introduced inside the country,Manchurian apparel was fading as a whole.However,some typical pattern was conserved and is carried forward,just like Qipao.And this period can called as transcendental stage. |
