元白诗中的女性服饰与中唐审美 = Exploring Mid-Tang Aesthetics: A Study on Female Costumes and Make-up in Poetry of Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi

Abstract

Female costumes and make-up largely reveals the literary, educational, and cultural states of a society. Indeed, the apparel and make-up of different times are manifestations of the social and aesthetical values specific to a historical period. As one of the most developed feudal society, the Tang Dynasty witnessed a blossom in the apparel industry, which is frequently recorded in the lines of the Tang poetry. Many scholars in recent years have examined the depiction of costumes and make-up in literary works, through which lens they explored the fashion and aesthetics of the time. However, scholars have mainly focused on the general dynastic fashion styles, while putting little emphasis on the intra-dynastic variations within each historical period. In particular, Mid-Tang, as the turning point of the Tang Dynasty, had substantial impact on both the poetic styles and the aesthetics of the time. Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi are two representative innovators of the Mid-Tang poetry. Spearheading the development of realism in poetry, they composed numerous poems reflecting the real life. Their poems about women, which involved female images, dresses, and life, also reflected the culture and aesthetics of the Mid-Tang. This paper therefore focuses on the discussion of female costumes and make-up depicted in their poems in the exploration of the Mid-Tang aesthetics. I will first introduce the background of the aesthetics related to the Tang poetry, followed by a review of costume writing and the time ethos in the Chinese Literature. I will then put forth the reasons for choosing Yuan-Bai poetry in the exploration of the Mid-Tang aesthetics. In Chapter two, I will examine the depiction of clothing and hairstyles in Yuan-Bai poetry, and explore the aesthetics behind. Chapter three examines the female make-up depicted in Yuan-Bai poetry and discusses the relevant aesthetics. Lastly, in Chapter four, I will propose several underlying factors shaping the aesthetic appreciation in the Mid-Tang, where the social status and experience of the poets will also be discussed.Female costumes and make-up largely reveals the literary, educational, and cultural states of a society. Indeed, the apparel and make-up of different times are manifestations of the social and aesthetical values specific to a historical period. As one of the most developed feudal society, the Tang Dynasty witnessed a blossom in the apparel industry, which is frequently recorded in the lines of the Tang poetry. Many scholars in recent years have examined the depiction of costumes and make-up in literary works, through which lens they explored the fashion and aesthetics of the time. However, scholars have mainly focused on the general dynastic fashion styles, while putting little emphasis on the intra-dynastic variations within each historical period. In particular, Mid-Tang, as the turning point of the Tang Dynasty, had substantial impact on both the poetic styles and the aesthetics of the time. Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi are two representative innovators of the Mid-Tang poetry. Spearheading the development of realism in poetry, they composed numerous poems reflecting the real life. Their poems about women, which involved female images, dresses, and life, also reflected the culture and aesthetics of the Mid-Tang. This paper therefore focuses on the discussion of female costumes and make-up depicted in their poems in the exploration of the Mid-Tang aesthetics. I will first introduce the background of the aesthetics related to the Tang poetry, followed by a review of costume writing and the time ethos in the Chinese Literature. I will then put forth the reasons for choosing Yuan-Bai poetry in the exploration of the Mid-Tang aesthetics. In Chapter two, I will examine the depiction of clothing and hairstyles in Yuan-Bai poetry, and explore the aesthetics behind. Chapter three examines the female make-up depicted in Yuan-Bai poetry and discusses the relevant aesthetics. Lastly, in Chapter four, I will propose several underlying factors shaping the aesthetic appreciation in the Mid-Tang, where the social status and experience of the poets will also be discussed.