Ding Ying: Chinese Ancient Official Uniform in Ming and Qing Dynasties

On the Decoration and Symbolization of Chinese Ancient Official Uniform in Ming and Qing Dynasties

By 

Ding Ying and Nanchang JiangxiLi Xiao Long and Nanchang Jiangxi

Abstract

China feudal society has seriously hierarchical characteristic, its clothes distinguish the status and rank from the color to the pattern. The pattern of Ming and Qing official uniform has special function and inheritance. The bird and beast patterns in representative official uniform not only contain the expectation of the emperor to the official but also embody the pursuit of people towards good lives. The official patterns based on the animal essentially add some humanity element into it to make the image of the animal humanization. With the changes of the times， people‘s ideas are changing, but the symbolization of the ancient patterns will not change. Now, these patterns are no longer belongs to the noble‘s exclusive products, also no longer to distinguish between identity and status of people, these designs today has become one of the Chinese culture. As one of China’s traditional culture, it had a glorious history, also will have a better future.