Bijia (Chinese:比甲) is a long, sleeveless jacket ofMongol origins which has opened side slits.[1]: 46, 68 The bijia started to be worn in theYuan dynasty when it was designed byEmpress Chabi.[2] Thebijia eventually became one of the most typical form of women's clothing item in theMing dynasty[3] and in theQing dynasty.[4] It is also a type ofhanfu which has been revived in present days.[5]
The bijia originated from a long-length Mongolvest.[1]: 46 [6] According to theYuan shi, the invention of bijiia is attributed toEmpress Chabi during theYuan dynasty.[2][7] Empress Chabi designed the bijia so that it would be a convenient form of attire while riding horses and shooting arrows.[2] The front region of the bijia designed by Empress Chabi was made of 1-piece of fabric, and its back region was twice longer than the front region.[2][7][8] It was collarless and sleeveless, and there were two loop straps which attached to it.[2][7][8] It also had no lapels.[8] The bijia was first worn by the Yuan dynasty emperor but it later became popular among commoners.[9]
After the fall of the Yuan dynasty,Mongol fashion of the Yuan dynasty continued to influence some styles of clothing worn in theMing dynasty; this included the persisting usage of bijia.[1]: 46 [6] The bijia became a type of women clothing in the Ming dynasty, and by the middle of the Ming dynasty it had become a favourite form of dress for women, especially young women.[9]
In theMing dynasty, the bijia was long in length and would reach below the knee level.[3] It was embroidered on woven textile and a jade ornament would be attached at the front of the bijia as a front closure.[3] Bijia created an illusion of slenderness, which women in the Ming dynasty sought after.[3]
In theQing dynasty,Han Chinese women were allowed to continue theMing dynasty clothing customs.[4] The bijia remained very popular in Qing dynasty,[9] and it was one of the most common forms of female clothing worn in the 17th and 18th century.[4]
Woman wearing bijia (right). Woman wearingbeizi (left). From the paintingAmorous Meeting in a Room Interior, late 18th century Qing Dynasty.
The Chinese operabeixin (Chinese:背心), also known askanjian,majia, andbeida, were sleevelessvests which originated from both theMing dynasty's long-length bijia worn by women from the lower-middle class and from theQing dynasty's majia (Chinese:马甲),[11] a type of vest which were worn by theManchu.[12]
Theatrical beixin for a female Buddhist priest (front view).
Theatrical beixin for a female Buddhist priest (back view).
The majia (Chinese:马甲), the sleeveless riding vest of the Qing dynasty, evolved from the bijia which was popular among women during the Ming and Qing dynasties.[9][13]
Sleeveless Jacket with Flowering Vine Pattern and Bands (front), late 19th–early 20th century
Sleeveless Jacket with Flowering Vine Pattern and Bands (back), late 19th–early 20th century
^abcFinnane, Antonia (2008).Changing clothes in China : fashion, history, nation. New York: Columbia University Press.ISBN978-0-231-14350-9.OCLC84903948.
^abcdeZhao, George Qingzhi (2008).Marriage as political strategy and cultural expression : Mongolian royal marriages from world empire to Yuan dynasty. New York: Peter Lang Pub. pp. 240–241.ISBN978-1-4331-0275-2.OCLC192134589.
^abSchlesinger, Jonathan (2017).A world trimmed with fur : wild things, pristine places, and the natural fringes of Qing rule. Stanford, California. p. 31.ISBN978-1-5036-0068-3.OCLC949669739.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^abcLee, Lily Xiao Hong (2015).Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II : Tang Through Ming 618-1644. Sue Wiles. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. p. 25.ISBN978-1-317-51562-3.OCLC905984401.
^abcd5000 years of Chinese costumes. Xun Zhou, Chunming Gao, 周汛, Shanghai Shi xi qu xue xiao. Zhongguo fu zhuang shi yan jiu zu. San Francisco, CA: China Books & Periodicals. 1987. p. 164.ISBN0-8351-1822-3.OCLC19814728.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
^Kuhn, Dieter (2009).The age of Confucian rule : the Song transformation of China. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.ISBN978-0-674-03146-3.OCLC192050158.
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