Today, Hanfu Culture Society will introduce Zhaojia (罩甲) to you, a very handsome traditional Chinese outfit for males.
[Structure and History]
Zhaojia, square or round collar, lapels, metal or cloth buttons, sleeveless or short sleeves, slits on both sides. This structure is very convenient for horseback riding and movement, and it is mostly used as an outer garment on top of the Tieli (贴里) and Yisan (曳撒).
Zhaojia first originated in the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, and it can be found through ancient painting materials that Zhaojia was generally used as a military uniform in ancient times, and was very common during the emperor's hunting trips and in ceremonial processions.
Most of the Zhaojia used by the royal family were decorated with patterns such as woven gold dragons in Yunjian (云肩) and Xilan (膝襕), the famous Asian Art Museum of San Francisco has a piece of Zhaojia (from the twenty-third year of the Wanli) in its collection, which is decorated with a dragon motif and a prominent gold “卍” pattern. The bottom of this Zhaojia is decorated with dragon, colorful clouds, and mountain and sea patterns, which is very gorgeous.
In addition, Zhaojia still popular in the folk, the shape is basically the same, but the decoration and materials used are relatively simple and plain.
By the late Ming Dynasty, the materials used in the Zhaojia were more abundant and varied, with the common people using cotton cloth and the rich and noble people using silk and other materials to make the Zhaojia.
[Occasion and Dressing]
The ancient way of dressing gives us a lot of material. Gorgeous Zhaojia is obviously not suitable for daily wear, but it is suitable for lively and festive occasions such as New Year and Lantern Festival.
The above is about Zhaojia. For more topics about Hanfu, let's discuss them together in our Hanfu group.