Feiyufu | |||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 飛魚服 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 飞鱼服 | ||||||
Literal meaning | Flying fish clothing | ||||||
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Feiyufu (simplified Chinese: 飞鱼服; traditional Chinese: 飛魚服; pinyin: fēiyúfú; lit. 'flying fish clothing'), also called feiyu mangyi (Chinese: 飞鱼蟒衣; pinyin: Fēiyú mǎngyī; lit. 'flying-fish python robe'),[1] is a type of traditional Han Chinese clothing which first appeared in the Ming dynasty.[2][3] It is also specific name which generally refers to a robe (generally tieli) decorated with the patterns of flying fish (although the flying fish is not the flying fish defined in the dictionary). The feiyufu worn by the Ming dynasty imperial guards reappeared in the 21st century following the hanfu movement and is worn by Hanfu enthusiasts of both genders.[4][5]
The flying fish decoration looks very similar to the python (mang) pattern on the mangfu (Chinese: 蟒服; lit. 'python robe'), but was actually a dragon-like creature with wings and the fanned tail of a fish.[6][7][2] The flying fish also had 4 claws like the mang,[2] a dragon head and a carp's body and two horns.[8]
The early flying fish ornament were characterized by the presence of double wings while in the middle and late Ming dynasty, the flying fish could only be distinguished from the python pattern by the presence of its fish tail instead of a dragon tail.
The feiyufu is typically in the form of tieli (a robe with a y-shaped cross collar, with either broad or narrow sleeves and pleats below the waist) decorated with the feiyu pattern.[9]
The tieli (Chinese: 贴里) originated in the Yuan dynasty in a form of Mongol robe known as terlig.[9] Despite the repeated prohibition of Mongol-style clothing, especially during the reign of the Hongwu Emperor, some Mongol clothing from the Yuan dynasty remained.[10] After being adopted in the Ming dynasty, the tieli became longer and its overall structure was made closer to the shenyi system in order to integrate Han Chinese rituals.
The feiyufu appeared in the Ming dynasty and was unique to the Ming dynasty.[11] It is a form of tieli decorated with flying fish patterns. The feiyfu was also a type of cifu (Chinese: 赐服; lit. 'presentation clothes'), a form of clothing which can only be bestowed by the Chinese emperors to those whom he favoured,[12][8] and were only second to the mangfu (Chinese: 蟒服; lit. 'python robe').
In the Ming dynasty, the feiyufu could be worn by a handful of civil officials, military officers, and chief eunuchs:[13]
The feiyufu and feiyufu-style guzhuang are depicted in Chinese television drama, especially period drama set in the Ming dynasty such as:[16]