WHAT THE ELITES ACTUALLY WORE IN 500–300 B.C.E. CHINA: EVIDENCE FROM TEXTILES, BAMBOO, AND BRONZES

This article uses evidence from textiles, bamboo, and bronzes to explore what the elites wore, who made up the design communities behind the elites, and how luxurious these items were considered to be in 500–300 b.c.e. China. It first examines the reliability of the art historical sources available for the reconstruction of this history and cautions the readers against certain past interpretations of the textiles and accessories of the period. It then delineates a brief history of how certain textile patterns and weaving techniques developed and how their producers selected and obtained sources of inspiration and interacted and exchanged ideas with producers of other types of artifacts. It argues that textile designers seemed to favor certain types of sources and had formed their own distinct, though not impervious, community. After carefully examining the weaving techniques of several pieces of fabric, it proposes a means of building a more reliable and solid foundation for art historical reconstruction. Textiles and accessories were symbols of the wealth, status, and power of individuals who wore them. This article will explain how a combination of the production techniques of textiles and accessories, together with a sharing of designs and techniques within the community of producers, contributed to the formation of those symbols.
本文以基於紡織物、竹器、銅器的證據去探討幾個問題，包括在公元前500–300年中國的精英們穿甚麼，誰組成這些精英們背後的設計團體、以及為何視這些器物是貴重之物。本文首先檢視用以重構這段歷史的藝術史證據的可靠性，提醒讀者要注意以往關於這時期的紡織物與飾物的詮釋是否正確。接着，本文簡要描述一些紡織物紋飾與紡織技巧的發展歷史，紡織者如何選擇、獲取靈感來源，如何與其它產品製造者交流等。這時期的紡織物設計者似乎較喜歡某類靈感來源，並組成了獨特的設計團體，這是本文的一大論點。在細心地察看幾塊布料的紡織技巧後，本文提議一種新方法以建立藝術史中重構紡織技巧時可靠而又牢固的根基。紡織物與飾物是配戴者財富、地位、權力的象徵。本文嘗試結合紡織物與飾物的製作技藝，以及製作者團體的設計與技巧的共享，解釋這些象徵是如何形成的