貂蟬 | Diaochan | 192 - 199 CE | Bijin #22

Diaochan (active 192-199 CE) was a member of the Four Meiren of China. Diaochan would later gain a Man Eater character who used her unparalled beauty to attain peace in Ancient China, even with all of the boy drama going on. See below how she sits watching on whilst one man nearly kill another for example. Diaochan is a fictional representation of the aspirations of contemporary Ancient women, who used beauty standards to exert their agency in realms which were mostly controlled and decided by the whims of the male gender, from that of Xi Shi's Damei Mei, to that of a new Outer Beauty.

Diaochan watching boytoy #2 annoy boytoy #1 (c.1644, PD) Anonymous

The Tale of Diaochan

Diaochan first appeared as the maid of the tyrant, Dong Zhuo. She became interested in the fighter Lu Bu. Fearing that the match would be found out in political machinations, Diaochan convinced her boytoy to do away with the tyrants head in 192 CE.

Interestingly, she did this by turning the two against each other using her beauty making each of them jealous of the other. One day, while sitting around in Zhuo's bed, after Bu appeared to hanky panky, Diaochan feigned unaliving, only to have boytoy #1 return to throw a spear at boytoy #2 and in boytoy machinations, to allow her to return to boytoy #2. Diaochan replies that this was only mere rape, and reattempts to unalive again. Thus boytoy #1 is once again a man whilst Diaochan is sat in a corner sipping tea.

In a fit of boytoy rage, boytoy #2 decapitates boytoy #1. After this Diaochan is freed from her teatime, and she flees off to Chang'an to drink more tea. After this, she is last mentioned at a warzone, where is presumably drinking tea as she watches her boytoys fight over her.

Developing Diaochan

Diaochan is an amalgamation of fiction. Even the name derives from the ornaments on officials hats worn in the Eastern Han dynasty. It refers to the soft 'sable cicada'.[1] Interestingly though, Diaochan was given more character over time, than her counterpart Zhaojun had been.[2] Diaochan went from the anonymous wife of a beheading man, to an active participant in the tyrants death and subsequent splintering of Ancient China by later writers. Albeit some Chinese operas did have her beheaded herself in their centuries later dramatics. Such as new boy wars means she falls into the hands of a prospective boytoy, who scared of the draw and power of her beauty to end his kingdom has her truly unalived. However, more folk tales often tell of her harem of boytoys available to her, even if this bring death her way in many of these tales, some by her own hand with mystical daggers, others in the throes of war.[1]

Moral of Diaochan

If anything, Diaochan is a tale about the failings of men than women's beauty, and the power women have over men in using their 'feminine wiles' to get others to do something. Men are the rats in Diaochans trap, she plays with them and then lays back to watch the scene unveil itself in matters of state and war. Diaochan is at the end of the day, what 'feminism' may say is a representation of the male power fantasy that objectifies woman as passive objects in the worlds and actions of men, however this is to remove all the nuance from the matter to me. What really Diaochan represents is that of the women in conservative, 'traditional' and patriarchal worlds who use their beauty to restore their own tranquility, whilst still operating in those realms and power structures. They are more honest with themselves about the resources on offer to them and their exchange power in that process. The Diaochan's of the world, are perhaps the female writers wishes of later operas, the power fantasies of bisexuals, the desires of mothers to have control, the feminine in control that is in these realms all these inhabit.

As a construct of Beauty, Diaochan is a mechanism the feminine has conjured against the patriarchal. She is a beautiful woman who uses sex to get what she wants, using her beauty to lure these men in a situation where they presume they are in control due to the politics of treating women with 'pretty privilege' to use the modern vernacular, as stupid. Diaochan in fact, in the one with a brain and turns the tables to present the moral of her tale, that whilst beauty is an ephemeral tool, it still holds great power and sway in the lives of all humans, men or women.

Outer Mei

In context therefore, Diaochan is a fictional embodiment of later reiterations of feminine beauty, power and limited agency in a patriarchal world. Her beauty is a means to an end, used for her own gain and in this way is a complete departure from the Heavenly Nymph archetypal Chinese Classical Beauty.[2] Diaochan if anything is a step towards the realisation that Outer Beauty was a valuable asset in human society, a shift from the male Damei Meiren whose beauty was Inner.[3] This leads us to the realisation of the worlds Tang, Asuka, Balhae and Silla women's beauty ideals, aspirations and pursual of beauty in displays of their power, agency and transformative creation of contemporary culture of beauty standards as Diaochan did in the realm of patriarchal Confucianism in Ancient China.

Bibliography

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaochan

[2] See Bijin #17 

[3] See Bijin #21

Bijin Series Timeline

11th century BCE

- The Ruqun becomes a formal garment in China (1045 BCE); Ruqun Mei

8th century BCE

- Chinese clothing becomes highly hierarchical (770 BCE)

3rd century BCE

Xi Shi (flourished c201-900CE); The (Drunken) Lotus Bijin

2cnd century BCE

        - The Han Dynasty

1st century BCE

Wang Zhaojun (active 38 - 31 BCE) Intermediary Bijin

0000 Current Era

1st century

        - Han Tomb portraiture begins as an extension of Confucian Ancestor Worship; first Han aesthetic                                scholars dictate how East Asian composition and art ethics begin

                       - Isometric becomes the standard for East Asian Composition (c.100); Dahuting Tomb Murals

                       - Ban Zhao introduces Imperial Court to her Lessons for Women (c106);                                                                    - Women play major roles in the powerplay of running of China consistently until 1000 CE, influencing                          Beauty standards

                       - Buddhism is introduced to China (150 CE)

                       - Qiyun Shengdong begins to make figures more plump and Bijin-like (c.150) but still pious

Diao Chan (192CE); The Outer Bijin

2cnd century

             - Yuefu folk ballads inspire desirable beauty standards of pining women [Coming Soon]

4th century

Gu Kaizhi (active 364-406); Metaphorical Beauty

        - Buddhism is introduced to Korea (c.372)

        - Chinese Artists begin to make aesthetic beauties in ethereal religious roles of heavenly Nymphs

                       - Luo River Nymph Tale Scroll (c.400)

          - Womens clothing emphasized the waist as the Guiyi (Swallow-Tail Flying Ribbons) style (c.400)

                       - Wise and Benevolent Women (c.400)

5th century

          - Chinese Art becomes decadent; Imperial Culture begins to see more expression in religious statues (c450)

                       - Longmen Grotto Boddhisattvas (471)

6th century

Xu Ling; (active 537-583); Terrace Meiren

7th century

            - Tang Dynasty Art (618-908)

           - Rouged Bijin (600-699 CE) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Paintings_of_the_Tang_Dynasty

Yan Liben (active 642-673); Bodhisattva Bijin [Coming Soon] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A1.jpg Guan Yin  | https://archive.org/details/viewsfromjadeter00weid/page/22/mode/1up?view=theater

Wu Zetian (active 665-705); The Great Tang Art Patron [Coming Soon]

Asuka Bijin (c.699); The Wa Bijin

8th century

            - Princess Yongtai's Veneration Murals (701) [Coming Soon]

- Introduction of Chinese Tang Dynasty clothing (710)

- Sumizuri-e (710)

Yang Yuhuan Guifei (719-756); [Coming Soon] East Asian Supermodel Bijin https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/275768522.pdf https://factsanddetails.com/china/cat2/4sub9/entry-5437.html#chapter-5

            - Astana Cemetery (c.700-750) [Coming Soon]

Zhang Xuan (active 720-755); [Coming Soon]

- What is now Classical Chinese Art forms

                    - An Lushun Rebellion (757) 

 Zhou Fang (active 766-805) ; Qiyun Bijin

- Emakimono Golden Age (799-1400)

9th century

                       - Buddhist Bijin [Coming Soon] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Paintings_of_the_Tang_Dynasty#/media/File:Noble_Ladies_Worshiping_Buddha.jpg + https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogao_Caves#/media/File:Anonymous-Bodhisattva_Leading_the_Way.jpg

                    - Gongti Revival https://www.jstor.org/stable/495525?seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents

10th century

                       -End of Tang Art (907)

13th century

                     - Heimin painters; 1200-1850; Town Beauty

15th century 

- Fuzokuga Painting schools; Kano (1450-1868) and Tosa (1330-1690) 

Tang Yin (active 1490-1524); Chinese Beauties [Coming Soon] https://www.comuseum.com/painting/masters/tang-yin/ 

16 century 

- Nanbanjin Art (1550-1630) 

- Wamono style begins under Chanoyu teachings (c1550-1580)

- Byobu Screens (1580-1670)

 - End of Sengoku Jidai brings Stabilisation policy (1590-1615)  

17th century  

- Land to Currency based Economy Shift (1601-1655)

- Early Kabuki Culture (1603-1673) ; Yakusha-e or Actor Prints

- Machi-Eshi Art ( 1610 - 1710) ; The Town Beauty

- Sumptuary legislation in reaction to the wealth of the merchant classes (1604-1685) 

- Regulation of export and imports of foreign trade in silk and cotton (1615-1685)  

Iwasa Matabei (active 1617-1650) ; Yamato-e Bijin  

The Hikone Screen (c.1624-1644) [Coming Soon]

- Sankin-Kotai (1635-1642) creates mass Urbanisation  

- Popular culture and print media production moves from Kyoto to Edo (1635-1650); Kiyohara Yukinobu (1650-1682) ; Manji Classical Beauty

- Shikomi-e (1650-1670) and Kakemono-e which promote Androgynous Beauties;

 Iwasa Katsushige (active 1650-1673) ; Kojin Bijin

- Mass Urbanisation instigates the rise of Chonin Cottage Industry Printing (1660-1690) ; rise of the Kabunakama Guilds and decline of the Samurai

- Kanazoshi Books (1660-1700); Koshokubon Genre (1659?-1661)

- Shunga (1660-1722); Abuna-e

Kanbun Master/School (active during 1661-1673) ; Maiko Bijin 

- Hinagata Bon (1666 - 1850) 

- Ukiyo Monogatari is published by Asai Ryoi (1666) 

Yoshida Hanbei (active 1664-1689) ; Toned-Down Bijin

- Asobi/Suijin Dress Manuals (1660-1700)

- Ukiyo-e Art (1670-1900)

Hishikawa Moronobu (active 1672-1694) ; Wakashu Bijin

- Early Bijin-ga begin to appear as Kakemono (c.1672)  

- Rise of the Komin-Chonin Relationship (1675-1725)

- The transit point from Kosode to modern Kimono (1680); Furisode, Wider Obi 

- The Genroku Osaka Bijin (1680 - 1700) ; Yuezen Hiinakata

Fu Derong (active c.1675-1722) ; [Coming Soon] https://archive.org/details/viewsfromjadeter00weid/page/111/mode/1up?view=theater

Sugimura Jihei (active 1681-1703) ; Technicolour Bijin 

- The Amorous Tales are published by Ihara Saikaku (1682-1687)

Hishikawa Morofusa (active 1684-1704) [Coming Soon]

- The Beginning of the Genroku Era (1688-1704)

- The rise of the Komin and Yuujo as mainstream popular culture (1688-1880) 

- The consolidation of the Bijinga genre as mainstream pop culture 

- The rise of the Torii school (1688-1799) 

- Tan-E (1688-1710)   

Miyazaki Yuzen (active 1688-1736) ; Genroku Komin and Wamono Bijin 

Torii Kiyonobu (active 1688 - 1729) : Commercial Bijin

Furuyama Moromasa (active 1695-1748)

18th century

Nishikawa Sukenobu (active 1700-1750) [Coming Soon]

Kaigetsudo Ando (active 1700-1736) ; Broadstroke Bijin

Okumura Masanobu (active 1701-1764)

Kaigetsudo Doshin (active 1704-1716) [Coming Soon]

Baioken Eishun (active 1710-1755) [Coming Soon]

Kaigetsudo Anchi (active 1714-1716) [Coming Soon]

Yamazaki Joryu (active 1716-1744) [Coming Soon] | https://www.jstor.org/stable/25790976?seq=5

1717 Kyoho Reforms

Miyagawa Choshun (active 1718-1753) [Coming Soon]

Miyagawa Issho (active 1718-1780) [Coming Soon]

Nishimura Shigenaga (active 1719-1756) [Coming Soon]

Matsuno Chikanobu (active 1720-1729) [Coming Soon]

- Beni-E (1720-1743)

Torii Kiyonobu II (active 1725-1760) [Coming Soon]

- Uki-E (1735-1760)

Kawamata Tsuneyuki (active 1736-1744) [Coming Soon]

Kitao Shigemasa (1739-1820)

Miyagawa Shunsui (active from 1740-1769) [Coming Soon]

Benizuri-E (1744-1760)

Ishikawa Toyonobu (active 1745-1785) [Coming Soon]

Tsukioka Settei (active 1753-1787) [Coming Soon]

Torii Kiyonaga (active 1756-1787) [Coming Soon]

Shunsho Katsukawa (active 1760-1793) [Coming Soon]

Utagawa Toyoharu (active 1763-1814) [Coming Soon]

Suzuki Harunobu (active 1764-1770) [Coming Soon]

- Nishiki-E (1765-1850)

Torii Kiyonaga (active 1765-1815) [Coming Soon]

Kitao Shigemasa (active 1765-1820) [Coming Soon]

Maruyama Okyo (active 1766-1795) [Coming Soon]

Kitagawa Utamaro (active 1770-1806) [Coming Soon]

Kubo Shunman (active 1774-1820) [Coming Soon]

Tsutaya Juzaburo (active 1774-1797) [Coming Soon]

Utagawa Kunimasa (active from 1780-1810) [Coming Soon]

Tanehiko Takitei (active 1783-1842) [Coming Soon]

Katsukawa Shuncho (active 1783-1795) [Coming Soon]

Choubunsai Eishi (active 1784-1829) [Coming Soon]

Eishosai Choki (active 1786-1808) [Coming Soon]

Rekisentei Eiri (active 1789-1801) [Coming Soon] [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ukiyo-e_paintings#/media/File:Rekisentei_Eiri_-_'800),_Beauty_in_a_White_Kimono',_c._1800.jpg]

Sakurai Seppo (active 1790-1824) [Coming Soon]

Chokosai Eisho (active 1792-1799) [Coming Soon]

Kunimaru Utagawa (active 1794-1829) [Coming Soon]

Utagawa Toyokuni II (active 1794 - 1835) [Coming Soon]

Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (active 1799-1823) [Coming Soon]

19th century

Teisai Hokuba (active 1800-1844) [Coming Soon]

Totoya Hokkei (active 1800-1850) [Coming Soon]

Utagawa Kunisada Toyokuni III (active 1800-1865) [Coming Soon]

Urakusai Nagahide (active from 1804) [Coming Soon]

Kitagawa Tsukimaro (active 1804 - 1836)

Kikukawa Eizan (active 1806-1867) [Coming Soon]

Keisai Eisen (active 1808-1848) [Coming Soon]

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (active 1810-1861) [Coming Soon]

Utagawa Hiroshige (active 1811-1858) [Coming Soon]

Yanagawa Shigenobu (active 1818-1832) [Coming Soon]

Katsushika Oi (active 1824-1866) [Coming Soon]

Hirai Renzan (active 1838ー？) [Coming Soon]

Utagawa Kunisada II (active 1844-1880) [Coming Soon]

Yamada Otokawa (active 1845) [Coming Soon] | 山田音羽子 https://www.jstor.org/stable/25790976?seq=10

Toyohara Kunichika (active 1847-1900) [Coming Soon]

Kano Hogai (active 1848-1888) [Coming Soon]

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (active 1850-1892) [Coming Soon]

Noguchi Shohin (active c1860-1917) [Coming Soon]

Toyohara Chikanobu (active 1875-1912) [Coming Soon]

Uemura Shoen (active 1887-1949) [Coming Soon]

Kiyokata Kaburaki (active 1891-1972) [Coming Soon]

Goyo Hashiguchi (active 1899-1921) [Coming Soon]

20th century

Yumeji Takehisa (active 1905-1934) [Coming Soon]

Torii Kotondo (active 1915-1976) [Coming Soon]

Hisako Kajiwara (active 1918-1988) [Coming Soon] https://www.roningallery.com/artists/kajiwara-hisako | https://www.jstor.org/stable/25790976

Yamakawa Shūhō (active 1927-1944) [Coming Soon]

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蝶 | チョウ | Butterfly | Patterns #21

Butterflies represent the motif of transformation and renewal. They are most often also representative of spirits passing from one world to the next, sometimes who have taken their lives together to elope into the other world.[1][2][5] They also symbolise the maturity of young girls becoming young women.[3] Other meanings can also include intrigue, and it is said if the butterfly is captured this will dispel this.[5] Tsukure obi ( つくれ帯 | Pre-tied Belt ) are commonly tied in a Butterfly knot (Cho Musubi | 蝶結び ).[4] Even updoes take their cues from Butterflies, in the style of the Yoko-Hyogo (Butterfly Hairstyle).[5]

Presents for a loved one (c.1810, PD/CC1.0) Ryuuryuukyo Shinsai

Historically Butterflies have long carried connotations of the otherworld, and thus appear in a number of family crests. Some of the earliest artistic depictions come from the Heian period, in turn influenced by Chinese philosophy about the fleeting, transitory nature of butterflies in the lives of human as in the story of Zhuang Zhi who dreamt of being a butterfly and then got confused about being a human or a butterfly, because he could.[3][5] Butterflies commonly appeared in many artistic mediums of the early Edo period, including Kimono, woodcuts and Origami designs.[3] This is mostly from the 1660 onwards obsession of Komin to depict Yuujo and stage performers. Even Hokusai involved himself in the depiction of this famous motif.[3] Unfortunately, the Long character/stereotype 'Cho-Cho' (1904) also means butterfly and in this way is also adopted in Occidental Literature to denote fragility, submissiveness and other surface aesthetic notions of Japanese culture. The 1900s-1950s saw a rise in the use of the motif as more families derived on the national surplus from Japan Inc. were able to buy their children fancier wafuku such as Furisode, a popular trend in the 1930's was to have these lined with gold which in the modern day has become just a white outline. 

Bibliography

[1] https://nalatanalata.com/journal/motifs-in-japanese-design/#:~:text=In%20Japanese%20culture%2C%20butterflies%20carry,number%20of%20traditional%20family%20crests.

[2] The first chapter of Bleach. Recommended for the art alone. Story is muy dissapoint.

[3] https://news.artnet.com/art-world/a-history-of-butterflies-in-art-2085638#:~:text=In%20Japan%2C%20the%20butterfly%20has,of%20female%20ritual%20and%20experience.

[4] http://www.japonic.com/obi/obi24.htm

[5] https://arteingiappone.altervista.org/en/butterflies-in-japanese-and-western-art/

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コーデュロイ | Corduroy | Pile Plain-Twill Weave | Fabrics #21

So I am quite busy this week due to relaunching the shop in the coming weeks. This time, we have what started as something of a mix of time restraint, dodging my over organized responsibilities and curiosity. Thus we have this weeks blogpost 2 days before its deadline and a very brief recounting of my googling about novel fabric wafuku. Corduroy as a fabric originates from and English duroy cloth, made of conjoined cords/wales from pile yarn. The back can be a plain/twill weave and is woven using one warp and two weft threads which create the pile effect of corduroy I think.

Yellow Corduroy (2008, CC3.0) Emerzh

Corduroy! Oh great Corduroy, you have revealed your mysteries to us! You actually apparently exist![1] Whilst it seems that this may purely have been a fad of the 1970s love of corduroy perhaps?[2] Either way a very interesting fabric choice, becuase you can obviously make such wonderful graduating shades with the pile in the fabric. Something to consider if I ever find the time to make another Kimono. There also seems to be some workmen's Hanten made from corduroy, which makes sense becuase of how durable a fabric it is, but I cannot find much evidence nor know of anymore examples than 2 found online so a theoretical one for now. But corduroy Kimono exist! Huzzah!

Bibliography

[1] https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1465725214/vintage-chrysanthemum-pattern-corduroy?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=corduroy+kimono&ref=sr_gallery-1-3&sts=1&organic_search_click=1

[2] https://www.gloverall.com/blogs/journal/history-of-corduroy#:~:text=Corduroy%20reached%20peak%20popularity%20in,Pablo%20Picasso%20and%20Wes%20Anderson.

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