Bijia

Bijia
Bijia
	A woman wearing aMing dynastybijia.
Chinese	Bỉ giáp
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Bǐjiǎ

Bijia(Chinese:Bỉ giáp) is a long, sleeveless jacket ofMongolorigins which has opened side slits.^[1]^: 46, 68The bijia started to be worn in theYuan dynastywhen it was designed byEmpress Chabi.^[2]Thebijiaeventually 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 ofhanfuwhich has been revived in present days.^[5]

History[edit]

Yuan dynasty[edit]

The bijia originated from a long-length Mongolvest.^[1]^: 46^[6]According to theYuan shi,the invention of bijiia is attributed toEmpress Chabiduring 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]

Ming dynasty[edit]

After the fall of the Yuan dynasty,Mongol fashion of the Yuan dynastycontinued 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]

Qing dynasty[edit]

In theQing dynasty,Han Chinesewomen were allowed to continue theMing dynastyclothing 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.

21st Century[edit]

In the 21st century, the bijia regained popularity and is widely worn as ahanfuitem.^[10]

Woman wearing a long, yellow bijia (middle), 2020.

Influences and derivatives[edit]

Theatrical beixin[edit]

The Chinese operabeixin(Chinese:Bối tâm), also known askanjian,majia,andbeida,were sleevelessvestswhich originated from both theMing dynasty'slong-length bijia worn by women from the lower-middle class and from theQing dynasty'smajia (Chinese:Mã giáp),^[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).

Majia[edit]

The majia (Chinese:Mã giáp), 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
Sleeveless Jacket, 19th century.

Similar looking garments[edit]

Banbi
Song dynasty beixin - Sleeveless and translucent vests, which became a popular female fashion in the Southern Song.^[14]^{: 265–266}
Dahu
Zhaojia( tráo giáp )
Baeja- A sleeveless or very short-sleeved vest in Korea

Beixin, Song dynasty
Zhaojia, Ming dynasty

References[edit]

^^a ^b ^cFinnane, Antonia (2008).Changing clothes in China: fashion, history, nation.New York: Columbia University Press.ISBN 978-0-231-14350-9.OCLC 84903948.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^eZhao, 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.ISBN 978-1-4331-0275-2.OCLC 192134589.
^^a ^b ^c ^dHua, Mei (2011).Chinese clothing(Updated ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. p. 41.ISBN 978-0-521-18689-6.OCLC 781020660.
^^a ^b ^cWang, Anita Xiaoming (2018)."The Idealised Lives of Women: Visions of Beauty in Chinese Popular Prints of the Qing Dynasty".Arts Asiatiques.73:61–80.doi:10.3406/arasi.2018.1993.ISSN 0004-3958.JSTOR 26585538.
^"A Brief History of Chinese Outfit for Girl - Bijia (vest) - 2021".www.newhanfu.com.2020-02-16.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-02-26.Retrieved2021-06-23.
^^a ^bSchlesinger, Jonathan (2017).A world trimmed with fur: wild things, pristine places, and the natural fringes of Qing rule.Stanford, California. p. 31.ISBN 978-1-5036-0068-3.OCLC 949669739.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^^a ^b ^cShea, Eiren L. (2020).Mongol court dress, identity formation, and global exchange.New York, NY. p. 89.ISBN 978-0-429-34065-9.OCLC 1139920835.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^^a ^b ^cLee, Lily Xiao Hong (2015).Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618-1644.Sue Wiles. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. p. 25.ISBN 978-1-317-51562-3.OCLC 905984401.
^^a ^b ^c ^d5000 years of Chinese costumes.Xun Zhou, Chunming Gao, chu tấn, Shanghai Shi xi qu xue xiao. Zhongguo fu zhuang shi yan jiu zu. San Francisco, CA: China Books & Periodicals. 1987. p. 164.ISBN 0-8351-1822-3.OCLC 19814728.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: others (link)
^"A Brief History of Chinese Outfit for Girl - Bijia (vest) - 2021".www.newhanfu.com.2020-02-16.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-02-26.Retrieved2021-07-03.
^Ye, Tan (2020).Historical dictionary of Chinese theater(Second ed.). Lanham. p. 352.ISBN 978-1-5381-2064-4.OCLC 1128888776.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^"Woman's domestic vest (majia)".collections.mfa.org.Retrieved2021-07-30.
^Li, Jinzhao (2005).Constructing Chinese America in Hawaiʻi: the Narcissus Festival, ethnic identity, and community transformation, 1949-2005(Thesis thesis).hdl:10125/12055.
^Kuhn, Dieter (2009).The age of Confucian rule: the Song transformation of China.Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.ISBN 978-0-674-03146-3.OCLC 192050158.

[:0-1] Finnane, Antonia (2008).Changing clothes in China: fashion, history, nation.New York: Columbia University Press.ISBN 978-0-231-14350-9.OCLC 84903948.

[:1-2] Zhao, 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.ISBN 978-1-4331-0275-2.OCLC 192134589.

[:2-3] Hua, Mei (2011).Chinese clothing(Updated ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. p. 41.ISBN 978-0-521-18689-6.OCLC 781020660.

[:3-4] Wang, Anita Xiaoming (2018)."The Idealised Lives of Women: Visions of Beauty in Chinese Popular Prints of the Qing Dynasty".Arts Asiatiques.73:61–80.doi:10.3406/arasi.2018.1993.ISSN 0004-3958.JSTOR 26585538.

[5] "A Brief History of Chinese Outfit for Girl - Bijia (vest) - 2021".www.newhanfu.com.2020-02-16.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-02-26.Retrieved2021-06-23.

[:4-6] Schlesinger, Jonathan (2017).A world trimmed with fur: wild things, pristine places, and the natural fringes of Qing rule.Stanford, California. p. 31.ISBN 978-1-5036-0068-3.OCLC 949669739.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[:5-7] Shea, Eiren L. (2020).Mongol court dress, identity formation, and global exchange.New York, NY. p. 89.ISBN 978-0-429-34065-9.OCLC 1139920835.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[:6-8] Lee, Lily Xiao Hong (2015).Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618-1644.Sue Wiles. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. p. 25.ISBN 978-1-317-51562-3.OCLC 905984401.

[:7-9] 5000 years of Chinese costumes.Xun Zhou, Chunming Gao, chu tấn, Shanghai Shi xi qu xue xiao. Zhongguo fu zhuang shi yan jiu zu. San Francisco, CA: China Books & Periodicals. 1987. p. 164.ISBN 0-8351-1822-3.OCLC 19814728.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: others (link)

[10] "A Brief History of Chinese Outfit for Girl - Bijia (vest) - 2021".www.newhanfu.com.2020-02-16.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-02-26.Retrieved2021-07-03.

[11] Ye, Tan (2020).Historical dictionary of Chinese theater(Second ed.). Lanham. p. 352.ISBN 978-1-5381-2064-4.OCLC 1128888776.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[12] "Woman's domestic vest (majia)".collections.mfa.org.Retrieved2021-07-30.

[13] Li, Jinzhao (2005).Constructing Chinese America in Hawaiʻi: the Narcissus Festival, ethnic identity, and community transformation, 1949-2005(Thesis thesis).hdl:10125/12055.

[14] Kuhn, Dieter (2009).The age of Confucian rule: the Song transformation of China.Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.ISBN 978-0-674-03146-3.OCLC 192050158.

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