The Integration of Artifacts and Hanfu – [1]

Traditional Chinese painting has a long history, and classic heirloom paintings not only give us an idea of how the ancients lived, but some hanfu styles are even inspired by ancient paintings.

The paintings we are going to learn about today have even been “printed” directly on the Chinese hanfu costumes.

The traditional style of the hanfu combined with the retro tones of the paintings, makes a difference.

A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains

The painting “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains (千里江山图)”, now collected in the Palace Museum in Beijing, is one of the ten most famous Chinese paintings, the work of Wang Ximeng of the Song Dynasty. He was only 18 years old when this painting was completed.

Wang Ximeng's “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains,” 51.5 cm wide and 1,191.5 cm long, is painting on silk in green and blue, lavish in its elegance, combining the majesty of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains with the smoky atmosphere of life.

There are not only magnificent mountains and rocks in the whole work, but also inhabitants on the riverside, who are either moored or working, adding dynamic beauty to the painting.

The whole painting can be roughly divided into four themes: travel, scenery viewing, elegant gathering, and labor, in order to express the magnificence of the great rivers and mountains and the beauty of people living and working in peace and happiness.

The painting “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” is an outstanding representative of China's blue and green landscape painting, with mineral pigments such as stone green and stone green, and exaggerated coloring, with a certain degree of decorativeness.

The entire work is painted in a large green tone, and the layers are superimposed so that the painting is highly layered.

This kind of landscape painting began in the Wei, Jin and North and South Dynasties, and became popular in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and is more colorful than ink and wash landscape painting.

A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains in hanfu

Many hanfu merchants have created derivatives of this work, making it a part of hanfu and integrating it into our daily life, and it has been popular among a large number of hanfu lovers.

Printing the “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” on Song pants, and ​adds a sense of ethereal beauty between walks and is loaded with the weight of history and culture.

This Daopao has a fresher feel, with a white and dark pattern fabric for the collar, and the gauze fabric is more suitable for the spring and summer seasons.

And the combination of this work and the Mamian skirt gives a different experience, flamboyant with an understated premium.

Auspicious Cranes

The painting “Auspicious Cranes (瑞鹤图)” is a work by Zhao Ji, Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, depicting a spectacular scene of cranes hovering over the palace.

In 1112, on the 16th day of the first month(lunar calendar), the cranes hovered over the palace and refused to leave, so Emperor Huizong was excited to see this scene and considered it a good fortune for the prosperity of the country. So he painted this scene on silk, and inscribed a poem to record the fact.

Auspicious Cranes in hanfu

This set of Han elements incorporates “Auspicious Cranes” into modern clothing. The light fabric is more airy, and the pattern has a distinctive oriental charm. The overall style does not have a heavy sense of history, more suitable for everyday wear.

The Night Revels of Han Xizai

“The Night Revels of Han Xizai (韩熙载夜宴图)” is a painting by Gu Hongzhong, a painter of the Southern Tang Dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, depicting a night banquet with songs and music in the house of Han Xizai, an official.

The different scenes are cleverly separated by a screen. The painting is composed in a way that breaks the concept of time, showing the successive activities on the same picture.

At the same time, the artist's portrayal of the characters is meticulous and subtle, portraying their distinctive personalities. The whole painting is brightly colored and elegant, with a sense of layering.

Han Xizai, the host of the banquet in the painting, was then a Minister of the Southern Tang Dynasty. At that time, Li Yu, the lord of the Southern Tang Dynasty, repeatedly victimized the officials from the north.

In order to save himself, Han Xizai resigned from his post on the grounds of his old age and infirmity. After that, he escaped by pretending to be a mediocre man who indulged in wine, song, and dance.

This painting depicts the scene of Han Xizai's return to his hometown after a banquet, which vividly shows the complex inner world of Han Xizai's bitterness and emptiness in the banquet, and his helplessness.

The Night Revels of Han Xizai in hanfu

This hanfu inspired skirt takes part of the painting from each section of “The Night Revels of Han Xizai” and makes a bold secondary design attempt based on the original painting, fusing the elements from the painting into a modern skirt. The collision of traditional culture and modern design has revitalized the painting.

After seeing these exquisite patterns appear on the hanfu, you may feel the profoundness of Chinese traditional culture.

Do you have any new ideas about the collision of history and traditional hanfu? Feel free to share your thoughts with us at the Hanfu Group!