Quick Answer: What Did People Wear in the Han Dynasty?
Han dynasty clothing included wrapped robes, separate upper and lower garments, and accessories such as socks. Surviving pieces show different sleeve shapes and fabrics.[2][4][6]
- Straight front: The zhiju (直裾, zhíjū) has a straighter lower opening.[2]
- Curved front: The quju (曲裾, qūjū) carries part of the lower front around the body.[2][3]
- Textiles: Western Han finds at Mawangdui include both unlined gauze and silk-padded robes.[1][4]
The surviving garments give a close view of well-preserved clothing in one elite burial context.
How Straight and Curved Fronts Differ
Follow the edge below the waist. In a straight-front form the opening falls relatively vertically. In a curved-front form a longer section can wrap farther around the body. A museum reconstruction of a Mawangdui robe uses a triangular extension and a ribbon to demonstrate the wrap.[2][3]
In modern Hanfu (汉服, hànfú) terminology, the upper neckline is a separate feature. A cross-collar describes how the two edges meet at the chest.
The Gauze Gowns and Padded Silk at Mawangdui
Two plain unlined gauze gowns came from Tomb 1. The straight-front gown weighs 49 grams, and the curving-front gown weighs 48 grams. The collars and cuffs use different materials even though the gauze fabric is the same.[1]
Another garment from the tomb uses silk padding and embroidery on a plain-weave silk ground. The same burial preserves gauze gloves and padded socks.[4]
Beyond the Elite Burial Wardrobe
A Western Han painted pottery attendant wears a plain robe over trousers, with footwear visible below. The figurine records a silhouette. It gives less information about seam placement or fibre than an excavated garment does. Read the two kinds of evidence together.[5]
Wearing Han-Inspired Clothing Today
Modern Hanfu includes clothing inspired by multiple periods. Choose a specific Han example to follow.[6] Check the lower front in a side or back photograph, then try sitting with the layers tied. Examine sleeve length and fullness separately. A fitting with the footwear you intend to wear will show how much ground clearance the hem has.
FAQs About Han Dynasty Clothing
Was Every Han Robe Curved at the Front?
Surviving examples include both straight and curved fronts. Mawangdui Tomb 1 preserves unlined gauze examples of both.[1][2]
Was the 49-Gram Mawangdui Gown the Curved One?
The 49-gram gown has the straight front. The separate curved-front gown weighs 48 grams.[1]
Is Han Dynasty Dress the Same as Modern Hanfu?
The Han dynasty provides one historical reference point. Modern Hanfu draws on clothing from several periods.[6]
資料來源
[1] Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. The Curving-Front Plain Unlined Gauze Gown
[2] China National Silk Museum. Silk and Ancient Social Life
[3] China National Silk Museum. Printed Curvy Hem Robe Reconstruction
[4] Hong Kong Antiquities and Monuments Office. Silk-Padded Robe, Gloves and Socks From Mawangdui
[5] The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Arts of Ancient China, Figure 47
[6] China National Silk Museum. Impressions of Han and Wei Dynasties Chinese Costumes