busts - BEIJING BELLE

The flower on the hair is the tree-peony (also called the Chinese Rose). From the Tang Dynasty onwards, it was the favorite flower from the imperial court down to the common folks and was made National Flower in the last years of the Qing Dynasty.

The hairdo is one of several styles favoured by Manchu women. It's called the 'two halves hairdo'. The hair was tied on top of the head, divided into two locks and each lock cued into a hairdo. At last, the rest hair was cued into a "swallow-tailed" long and flat hairdo. A hair clasp called " the flat pane" could be inserted into the hairdo.

It differed from the Han style by featuring a round neck and a panel crossing from left to right, fastening at the side with five buttons and loops. It had a relatively straight body and full sleeves. As expected, the wearer's social status was reflected in the decoration and the material. Every textile technique (embroidery, damask,...) was used including silk painting like on the bust.

Her robe is the typical informal wear for Manchu women (the Manchu were nomadic people, ethnically distinct from the majority Han population who had ruled China during the preceding Ming Dynasty).

BEIJING BELLE is a 18th-century Chinese noble woman dressed in the Manchu style of the Qing (Ch'ing) dynasty (1644-1911).

BEIJING BELLE
ref. BB-06