Tajik Costume
01 · Historical Records
The origins of Tajik dress can be traced back to the Qiepantuo Kingdom as written of by Xuanzang in the Tang dynasty. The royal attire of that region was said to resemble that of China in appearance—a square crown on the head and "barbarian" robes on the body—a record that matches the dress of today's Tajiks. In the thousand years since, the dress has been steadily reinforced in response to the climate of the homeland, while absorbing foreign ornamentation through trade; its form has changed again and again, yet the basic pattern of a square crown with a rounded top worn with long robes has never fallen apart. The cold and wind-driven snow of the Pamir plateau were the main external forces shaping it: whether a family's leather robe was stitched densely and whether its felt boots stood firm could decide a herder's whole day.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Tajik dress is distinctly individual within the dress culture of China's ethnic minorities. According to Xuanzang's Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, the appearance and dress of the Qiepantuo royal family were recorded as: "in appearance the same as China, with square crowns as head ornaments and barbarian robes on the body." This precisely reflects the characteristics of ancient Tajik dress. Tajik dress is closely related to the environment in which the people live; it comes in men's, women's and children's versions and includes caps (single-layer and fur caps), headscarves, outer robes, trousers (leather, cotton and single-layer), skirts (cloth, silk and satin), sashes, felt boots and leather boots, as well as women's jewelry. Because they have long lived on the Pamir plateau, Tajik clothing consists mainly of cotton garments, leather garments and lined garments, with no distinct four-season wardrobe. However, the use of the many raw materials of Tajik dress—leather, fur, cloth, silk, plush and silk thread—as well as Akqi County at festival activities, a scene of more than a hundred falconers entering the arena. —the choice of materials, the use and layout of dress patterns, the matching of colors, the design of women's dress, and the modeling and wearing of jewelry all reflect the aesthetic taste and aesthetic psychology of the Tajik people, reflecting the characteristics and character of the people, with fairly deep cultural connotations. Tajik dress has distinctly ethnic characteristics, with bright, rich colors that stand in sharp contrast to the environment in which the people live. Color is used boldly, with strong contrast and visual impact; in form and style, by contrast, it appears distinctive and full of beauty. Tajik dress marks clear distinctions of gender and age, and between the married and the unmarried. Women's dress is mainly red, appearing gorgeous; men's dress is mainly black and darker colors, appearing dignified. The Tajiks are one of China's smaller ethnic minorities; their dress has a unique style, splendid colors and distinctly ethnic features, giving it a certain representativeness among China's ethnic minorities. With the development of transportation and the flourishing of the clothing market, modern garments of diverse styles, convenient to wear and low in price, have become increasingly popular among the Tajiks, while the traditional dress—expensive, complicated to make and inconvenient to wear—is gradually being phased out; fewer and fewer people can make traditional Tajik clothing, and the production of traditional dress appears to have no successors.
Felt cap and fur cap
In the high Pamirs the hat comes first: a felt cap by day for warmth and sight, a fur cap in wind and snow to cover the ears.
Leather robe and felt boots
A leather robe is paired with felt or hide boots, both from local livestock, the felt being wool compressed into a dense mat suited to trudging through snow.
Women’s skirts and headscarves
Women wear skirts with headscarves, felt boots and gold and silver ornaments, their bright colours set against the whiteness of the mountains.
Choosing cloth and colour
Hide, wool, cloth, satin, velvet and silk each have their use, and the choice of colour marks age and status: dark tones for men, red for women.
Festive dress at the gatherings
At weddings and festivals the village appears in its finest dress; in one record more than a hundred falconers entered in array, dress and hunting together.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Tajik dress is distributed chiefly in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang; the people live entirely in the Pamir plateau region, moving with water and grass, and their villages mostly lie against mountains and waters. Dress consists mainly of cotton garments, leather garments and lined garments, with no marked change of season; winter and summer attire are broadly similar. Single-layer caps and fur caps coexist, and headscarves, year-round clothing, felt and leather boots, and women's gold and silver jewelry each form a complete set. There is little variation in finer points between villages; weddings, festivals and the welcoming of guests alike attach equal importance to dress. Judging by the scene of more than a hundred falconers entering the arena at local festival activities, dress has clearly become a spectacle for the whole village at large events.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
It is of certain value for the study of the dress culture and dress history of China's ethnic minorities. Traditional Tajik ethnic dress faces an endangered situation.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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