In ancient times, there was a very strict system for tying the belt, and even there were very strict requirements for the length of the drooping part after the belt was tied: "A gentleman is three feet long and a company is two feet and five inches long."
In addition, in ancient times, not anyone could use the belt, only people with noble status could use it. On the one hand, it plays a role in preventing clothes from slipping. On the other hand, wearing a belt is also a sign of their nobility and wealth.
In ancient times, there were many kinds of men's belts, and the forms of making them were quite complicated. Generally speaking, according to the material, it can be divided into two categories: one is made of leather, which was called "leather" or "belt" in ancient times, and the other is made of silk, which was called "big belt" at that time.
Before Qin Shihuang unified the Qin Dynasty, belts made of leather were generally only used by men at that time. Women are responsible for some silk work at home every day. They often use belts made of silk.
After the Han Dynasty, ancient men also began to use silk belts.
At that time, silk had received great attention, and people began to use silk to symbolize people of different classes. Their forms are quite complicated, and the differences in colors, materials and decorations all represent their different identities. From the emperor to the scholar, the belts of all class relations between them are worlds apart.
Generally, belts made of leather will have something similar to "hooks", which are mainly designed for men to wear belts more conveniently, as long as the two ends overlap each other, and there is a ring-like structure that also plays the same role.
These two kinds of belt designs have been produced in the Spring and Autumn Period, especially in the southwest, which are widely respected by people and often mentioned in related records, such as Guan Zi Xiao Kuang: "Wu shoots me in the hook." There is also "Historical Records Qi Taigong Family": "Hook with a small white belt", which are the best proof.
In ancient times, there were many kinds of hook materials on belts, mainly gold, silver, copper, iron and other materials, as well as stones, wood and other materials, but the number was not particularly large.
In different dynasties and tribes, they made hooks with different shapes, such as animal, bird, human and dragon. As long as people can think of shapes, they will try their best to show off their belts for themselves and others. In addition, the production process of the hook on the belt is particularly novel, and the carving, inlay, aluminum and typos are quite complete.
At this time, people of different classes use completely different hooks, and with this, people can judge the identity of this person. In addition, in ancient times, the invention of Nao was much later than that of Hook, and it was not until the Song Dynasty that Nao was discovered and respected by people. So what is Nao?
It is in the shape of a ring with a button and a pin on it. If people want to use it, they will insert it into the button and then buckle it. In fact, they think the belt at this time is very close to the belt now.
Because this kind of belt was very strong at first, it was used by people at that time and was very popular with local people.
Hook belts are also used a lot, and this phenomenon has been going on for a long time. It was not until the Three Kingdoms period that the hook belt was completely eliminated. Jade belts and gold belts, which have been popular in later generations, are all made of hooks, so it is difficult for people to see hook belts again.
In ancient times, the method of tying a belt was not only as simple as tying it at will, but also included many cultures. The length and position of the belt are very special and have some special meanings.
At that time, the gentry was the part with the bottom, so the purpose of the department was to remind people to take notes, which is also commonly known as memos.
Another function is to facilitate emergency, because at that time, officials often used the handwritten version when taking notes, which is what we call paper and pencil. In order to carry them around conveniently, they will wrap them around their waist and fix them with belts when not in use.
After introducing the ancient men's belts, let's briefly talk about women's belts. Although women don't have to wear "waist", they also need to leave a part when they tie their belts to make them droop. The drooping part can be divided into detachable part and insoluble part.
What do you mean by "solvable" and "unsolvable" in this sentence? Next, I will analyze it for you. Generally speaking, "solvable" is what we call slipknot, which can be untied. On the contrary, "insoluble" is a fast knot.
In addition, there was a clear statement about the part of the belt.
Kong commented: "When there is no bone, if there is bone, it is difficult, so it is advisable to have no bone. This kind of deep dress is also worn in North Korea's etiquette clothing. The pilgrimage belt is near. "
From here, we can clearly understand that the fastening method of the belt changes with the change of clothes. Different kinds of clothes have their own belt fastening methods, and they are not tied at will.
1. First of all, it must be to prevent clothes from falling off.
In ancient times, there was no such thing as buttons on people's clothes. Whether men or women, their clothes are connected by a silk, so their clothes are relatively easy to fall off. When they put on their last coat, they often tie all the clothes outside and inside with a belt to prevent them from falling off.
2. Used to distinguish their identities.
Want to distinguish between civilians and aristocratic officials, in fact, generally rely on their belts, belts worn by ordinary civilians are made of cooked cowhide.
There are many kinds of belts for some noble officials, which are also introduced above. A typical one is "gentry" made of silk, and the other is made of leather, called "belt".
The third function is to show the wealth of some nobles.
Because in ancient times, the rich always wanted to show their wealth and luxury, so the belt played a role at this time. The rich will put all kinds of luxuries on their belts, such as jade and precious stones, which will appear on the belts of the ancient rich.
In ancient times, Yu Pei wore a belt and made a crisp sound when he walked. At that time, people thought it was a solemn and sacred practice.
Since ancient times, belts have been an indispensable part of people's clothing and are inseparable from human life. In ancient times, there were many kinds and names of belts, and their functions were different in different dynasties and historical conditions.
At the same time, this belt has a long and far-reaching history in the history of China. First of all, since the belt can be produced and popularized by the ancients, it proves its practicability to some extent. Officials of various dynasties wore belts on their clothes, which was a symbolic embodiment.
However, it was not until the Qing Dynasty that the crown service system was gradually eliminated, and some buttons gradually replaced the belt. People did not use it as much as before, but its use value and aesthetic value were undeniable.
In a word, from the development of ancient belts in China to the present, on the one hand, we can see its value, on the other hand, we can also see the ancient people's aesthetic awareness of belts and their influence on the costumes of various dynasties and generations. After years of baptism and cultural inheritance, the belt has a culture of nearly 5000 years.
Its contribution to people and society is enormous, so if you want to know the history and culture of China, you can start with the ancient belt, because it will bring you more clues and different experiences.
References:
The Book of Rites Jade Algae
Shuowen Gebu
Huainanzi said Xun Lin.