Mongolian Costume
01 · Historical Records
Mongolian clothing is one of the most representative types of dress among the northern nomadic peoples of China. It achieved unprecedented development in the Yuan dynasty, becoming attire that was lavish and gorgeous, grand and imposing, luxurious and refined.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
As society changed continuously, the various Mongolian tribes gained independent room for development, the types and varieties of Mongolian clothing steadily increased, and the dress of each tribe formed its own distinctive characteristics, which have continued to the present day. The dress of each Mongolian tribe distinguishes between men and women, old and young, and married and unmarried, as well as among seasonal, ceremonial and everyday garments. It mainly comprises robes (single-layer robes, lined robes, quilted robes, fur robes with an outer facing, raw-hide fur robes, smoked-hide fur robes), vests (aoji, aojimuge), boots (felt boots, scented oxhide boots, mahai boots), and headwear and accessories (flints, satchels, fragrant sachets). The Mongolian people have long lived on the grasslands north of the Great Wall. The harsh, cold plateau climate, together with a way of life characterized by nomadic herding and many long hours spent on horseback, meant that their clothing had to provide strong protection against cold while being convenient for riding; long robes, vests, leather hats and leather boots naturally became their first choice of dress, giving it a strong grassland character. Long robes are mostly made of leather, wool, cotton and silk fabrics, according to the season; the robe body is loose and full, the sleeves are long, and the hem is not slit. The collar, cuffs and garment edges of Mongolian robes are often trimmed with brocade lace, and the color of the robe varies with the sex and age of the wearer. Red, white, blue, yellow and green are especially favored; color matching is sometimes strongly contrasting and vividly bright, sometimes quietly elegant and harmoniously subdued. The belt is very long, and men's belts are often hung with ornaments such as a knife, a flint and a snuffbox. Women's headwear is mostly made from jewelry, gold, silver and jade, dazzling and brilliantly magnificent. In terms of garment style, Mongolian dress has ample upper garments and broad sashes; it is graceful and luxurious, elegant and dignified, expressing both the curvaceous beauty of Mongolian women and the heroic, magnanimous and rugged character of herders. Among these, religious vestments and Mongolian wrestling costumes also have their own distinctive features and uses. Mongolian clothing integrates cutting and sewing, precious-metal working and ornament making; it is an inseparable component of Mongolian culture, embodies the wisdom of the Mongolian people, displays rich cultural connotations, and has research value in history, ethnology, aesthetics and other fields.
Cutting the stand collar and front opening
Men's and women's patterns are cut separately, with wide long sleeves for riding and a stand collar running into the front edge.
Layering the vest and changing with the seasons
The vest goes over the robe for wind and riding protection, swapped between thin summer cloth and fur-lined winter versions.
Shaft and felt boot stitching
Felt and hide boots are made in several shafts; the shaft is joined first, then turned and closed to keep out the wind.
Assembling headdresses of gold, silver and jade
Women's headdresses layer dozens of gold, silver, jade and coral pieces in a fixed order of assembly.
Recording the costume sets in two languages
Complete costume sets are recorded with both Mongolian and Chinese names so scattered garments can be compared as sets.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
In China, Mongolian clothing is distributed mainly within the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as well as in Mongolian settlements in the provinces and autonomous regions of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai and Yunnan.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Mongolian Costume · Mongolian Costume · Mongolian Costume · Mongolian Costume.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Narenqiqige (recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Female, Mongolian, born in May 1959, a native of Subei Mongolian Autonomous County, Gansu Province. In 1994 she opened a clothing-making shop, designing and producing all kinds of Subei Mongolian garments. The Mongolian-Chinese bilingual volume “Traditional Costume of the Subei Mongols”, published from oral accounts, includes materials on all of her representative costume works. In 2015 she established Subei County Naren Mongolian Clothing Co., Ltd. She is a representative inheritor of Mongolian clothing, a fifth-batch national-level intangible cultural heritage project. She transformed the family-based transmission mechanism; through writing textbooks, holding study classes and other means, she trained more than one hundred skilled garment-makers, resolving the transmission difficulties faced by Subei Mongolian clothing. Since 2001, the Mongolian costume team she has led has won honors in exhibitions and competitions held in Shandong, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Hong Kong and other places.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Siqingbalamu 04-1981
- Mideke 04-1982
- Balagarima 05-3042
- Qimuge 05-3043
- Narenqiqige 05-3044
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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