Lishui (sea-waves)

Lishui (Chinese: 立水; pinyin: lìshuǐ; lit. 'standing water') or shuijiao (Chinese: 水脚; Chinese: shuǐjiǎo; lit. 'water feet') is a set of parallel diagonal (either straight or wavy), multicoloured sea-waves/line patterns.[1][2][3]: 100  It originated in China where it was used by the Qing dynasty court prior to the mid-18th century.[4] Lishui represents the deep sea under which the ocean surges and waves;[1][4] it is therefore typically topped with "still water" (woshui (Chinese: 卧水; pinyin: wòshuǐ), also called pingshui (Chinese: 平水; pinyin: píngshuǐ)), which is represented by concentric semicircle patterns which runs horizontally.[3]: 100, 117  Lishui was used to decorate garments,[5] including the bottom hem and cuffs of some of the court clothing of the Qing dynasty.[5][4] It could be used to decorate as wedding dress items.[4][5] It is also used to decorate Chinese opera costumes, typically on the bottom hem of the costumes.[3]: 329  It was also adopted in some court clothing of the Nguyen dynasty in Vietnam under the influence of the Qing dynasty.[6]

Lishui
MET TP466C
Lishui (diagonal and parallel wavy multicoloured stripes), Qing dynasty.
Robe, dragon (AM 4121-4)
Lishui (diagonal and parallel straight multicoloured stripes), Qing dynasty
Chinese name
Chinese立水
Literal meaningStanding water
English name
EnglishLishui waves/ Lishui stripes/ Lishui border

Cultural significance and symbolism
Main article: Chinese auspicious ornaments in textile and clothing
Sacred mountain, one of the twelve ornaments.

In ancient China, embroideries on clothing were not only used as a mean to embellish clothing but also held symbolic meanings.[2]

When used on dragon robes, lishui could be combined with turbulent waves and a rock in the middle of the clothing.[2][7] Lishui represents the deep water; the rock represents the sacred mountain (山, shān), which is the representation of the Universe[2] or the Earth.[7] The turbulent waves were buddhist elements.[2] Waves patterns (usually shaped in semicircles as found in woshui (卧水) patterns) are often used to represent tides (潮, cháo) which is the homophone and symbolism for the court "audience" (朝, cháo).[8]: 389  Therefore, when worn together, these motifs mean that the wearer of clothing is the "centre of the symbolic universe" being the ruler over the waters, the Earth and Heavens.[2] Lishui could be found in the five colours.[5] Sometimes, within the waves pattern, other religious (Taoist and Buddhist symbols) and auspicious Chinese symbols were added, such as clouds.[7][2]

History
Main article: Standardization of Manchu imperial and court clothing in Qing dynasty

In the Ming dynasty, patterns of sea "waves breaking against rocks" were already in use in the Emperor's dragon robe in the early 16th century in order to create a cosmic landscape for the imperial dragons.[9]: 33  Other forms of court robes in Ming dynasty worn by nobles, officials and their wives (such as the bufu, i.e. robe with mandarin square) also used ocean waves patterns in the form of concentric semicircles (woshui) as clothing ornaments.[10]

Dragon roundels with waves breaking on rock, from cropped from a Ming dynasty dragon robe.
Dragon robe with woshui (卧水) and waves crashing on rocks but no lishui (立水), dragon robes follows the Ming dynasty design-style, early Qing dynasty, 17th century

After the conquest of the Ming dynasty by the Manchu and the establishment of the Qing dynasty, the Manchu rulers inherited the dragon robes of the Ming dynasty[9]: 33  which they would refit and modify these robes by adding their own their own Manchu-style features similarly to how the Manchu (and their predecessors, the Jurchens) used to modify the dragons robes bestowed by the Ming dynasty prior to the Ming dynasty conquest.[5][11]: 42 [12] Some early designs of the Qing dynasty jifu (dragon/python robe) showed patterns of woshui at the bottom hem of the robe but did not have the presence of lishui; this form of dragon robe eventually disappeared in the mid-18th century, possibly having fallen out of fashion.[12]

Lishui, followed by woshui, followed by turbulent waves; found on the sleeves of a dragon robe (jifu), 17th century

By the end of the 17th century, the Manchu rulers wanted to re-imagine the imagery of their dragon robes to emphasize on the centrality of the emperor within the cosmos and within the imperial court.[9]: 34  The Manchu rulers thus decided to redesign and regulate the decorative patterns found on their court robes by introducing and applying elaborate pattern designs on their court robes.[4][13][14] Designs and construction of the Qing dynasty court robes were enacted and regulated through imperial edicts; the dress code was a mixed of Manchu (i.e. clothing cut-style) and Ming dynasty Chinese traditions in terms of prescribed designs.[7] The decorative patterns and visual motifs used by the Manchu rulers were adopted from the Han Chinese's adornment designs, decorations, and symbols rooted in Taoism and Buddhism; they were then adapted into new set of designs.[15][2][7] Lishui was thus added to on the bottom hem and/or on the sleeves of the court robes. Lishui found on the bottom of robes were initially short in length but gradually increased in length until the end of the dynasty.[4][2]

  • Lishui, Yongzheng period (1723–35)
    Lishui, Yongzheng period (1723–35)
  • Lishui, 18th century
    Lishui, 18th century
  • Lishui, 18th century
    Lishui, 18th century
  • Lishui, first half 18th century
    Lishui, first half 18th century
  • Lishui, late 19th Century
    Lishui, late 19th Century
  • Lishui, circa 1900.
    Lishui, circa 1900.

Usage

Court clothing and wedding clothing
Main articles: Qizhuang, Dragon robe, and Mangfu

The lishui was used to decorate the hem of the Qing dynasty court robes, such as the dragon robes,[4][14] the python robes, the surcoats (e.g. gunfu/ jifu gua/ longgua), the jifupao (e.g. Manchu wedding dress), chaogua,[16][17][5] and on the mandarin square.[5] They could also be used to decorate the wedding attire[16] and xiapei of the Han Chinese women in the Qing dynasty.[5]

  • Dragon robe (jifu)
    Dragon robe (jifu)
  • Chaogua
    Chaogua
  • Woman's surcoat (jifugua), late 19th century
    Woman's surcoat (jifugua), late 19th century
  • Qing dynasty mandarin square (civil official)
    Qing dynasty mandarin square (civil official)
  • Qing dynasty mandarin square (military official)
    Qing dynasty mandarin square (military official)
  • Jifupao, 19th century
    Jifupao, 19th century
  • Han Chinese woman's wedding yuanlingshan decorated with golden lishui
    Han Chinese woman's wedding yuanlingshan decorated with golden lishui
  • Xiapei, Qing dynasty
    Xiapei, Qing dynasty

In the early years of the Republic of China, lishui also appeared in the official clothing regulations promulgated by Yuan Shikai for the officials who participated in 1914 Sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven ceremony when he proclaimed the beginning of a new dynasty.[5]

Chinese opera

Lishui is used to decorate the hem of Chinese opera costumes, such as mang, nümang, long jianyi, long magua.[3]: 329 

Influences and derivatives

Vietnam
See also: Vietnamese clothing

Lishui, among many other decorative patterns, were also adopted in some court clothing of the Nguyen dynasty under the influence of the Qing dynasty.[6] They were sometimes used to decorate the áo nhật bình.[6]

  • áo nhật bình (middle) with lishui, Nguyen dyansty
    áo nhật bình (middle) with lishui, Nguyen dyansty
  • Nguyen dynasty court dress: left and right only have woshui; middle have both woshui and lishui patterns.
    Nguyen dynasty court dress: left and right only have woshui; middle have both woshui and lishui patterns.
  • Nguyen dynasty dragon robe
    Nguyen dynasty dragon robe

Not to be confused with
  • Seigaiha (青海波) – a traditional Japanese motif
    Seigaiha (青海波) – a traditional Japanese motif

See also

Notes

    References
    1. "Manchu Man's Semiformal Court Robe | Denver Art Museum". www.denverartmuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
    2. Heroldová, Helena (2016). "The Dragon Robe as the Professional Dress of the Qing Dynasty Scholar-Official (The Náprstek Museum Collection)". Annals of the Náprstek Museum. 37 (2): 49–72. doi:10.1515/anpm-2017-0012. ISSN 2533-5685.
    3. Bonds, Alexandra B. (2008). Beijing opera costumes : the visual communication of character and culture. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN 978-1-4356-6584-2. OCLC 256864936.
    4. Cammann, Schuyler (1979). "Costume in China, 1644 to 1912". Philadelphia Museum of Art Bulletin. 75 (326): 3–19. doi:10.2307/3795325. ISSN 0031-7314.
    5. Garrett, Valery M. (2007). Chinese dress : from the Qing Dynasty to the Present. Tokyo: Tuttle Pub. ISBN 978-0-8048-3663-0. OCLC 154701513.
    6. Ngày, Dăng (2020-03-11). "Khi tinh hoa phẩm phục nơi vương triều xưa cũ chuyển mình với thời đại". Style-Republik.com | Thời Trang, sáng tạo và kinh doanh (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2022-05-21.
    7. Heroldová, Helena (2017-06-01). "Imperial Dragon in the Roaring Twenties: Qing Dynasty Dress Re-Made". Annals of the Náprstek Museum. 38 (1): 29–40. doi:10.1515/anpm-2017-0019. ISSN 2533-5685.
    8. Eberhard, Wolfram (1986). A dictionary of Chinese symbols : hidden symbols in Chinese life and thought. Edward Kimber. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 978-0-203-03877-2. OCLC 826514710.
    9. Vollmer, John E. (2007). Dressed to rule : 18th century court attire in the Mactaggart Art Collection. Mactaggart Art Collection. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press. ISBN 978-1-55195-705-0. OCLC 680510577.
    10. Cammann, Schuyler (1962). "Embroidery Techniques in Old China". Archives of the Chinese Art Society of America. 16: 16–40. ISSN 1945-2926.
    11. Rawski, Evelyn Sakakida (1998). The last emperors : a social history of Qing imperial institutions. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21289-4. OCLC 37801358.
    12. Cammann, Schuyler (1949). "Origins of the Court and Official Robes of the Ch'ing Dynasty". Artibus Asiae. 12 (3): 189–201. doi:10.2307/3248384. ISSN 0004-3648.
    13. "Imperial Robe". Seattle Art Museum. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
    14. "20. Manchu Robe". www.slatermuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
    15. "Chinese dress in the Qing dynasty". archive.maas.museum. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
    16. Vollmer, John E. (2000). "Clothed to Rule the Universe". Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies. 26 (2): 13–105. doi:10.2307/4104402. ISSN 0069-3235.
    17. "Catalogue". Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies. 26 (2): 52–106. 2000. doi:10.2307/4104403. ISSN 0069-3235.
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