Identifier: pictorialhistoci00sear (find matches)
Title: Pictorial history of China and India; comprising a description of those countries and their inhabitants
Year: 1851 (1850s)
Authors: Sears, Robert, 1810-1892
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, R. Sears
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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ere is no mention of sucha custom prior to the sixteenth century. The costume of the Chinese, being regulated by law, is not subject to thecaprice of fashion or individual taste, except in such trifling particulars asproduce no alteration in the general style. The dress of a Chinese lady isnot different from that worn in ancient times : it consists of a short, looserobe, confined round the throat with a narrow collar. The robe is wornover a long, full skirt: and both are frequently made of richly-embroideredsilks. The sleeves are wide, and sufficiently long to fall over the hands,and the hair is gathered up in a knot at the top of the head, fastened withgolden bodkins, and adorned with flowers. They all wear trousers, likethe Turkish women ; and their tiny shoes are of satin, silk, or velvet, beau-tifully worked with gold, silver, and colored silks, the soles being of rice-paper, from one to two inches in thickness, and covered outside with white 332 CHINA, HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE.
Text Appearing After Image:
Dom>~t ii—i.ui!^ ra ilu-ir usual Euiployments. leather made from pigs-skin. The little girls are very becomingly attiredin short dresses, reaching to the throat, and worn over the full trousers.The hair, which is combed from the forehead, hangs down in ringlets oneach side, and the back-hair is plaited into one or two long tails; in whichsimple style it remains until the young lady is about to become a bride,when the more matronly fashion is adopted, and the braids and curls areformed into a knot, intermixed with flowers and jewels. A gendeman usually wears in the house a loose robe of silk, cloth, or, insummer, of some lighter material, with a cap also suited to the season. Ifhe be a mandarin, a ball is worn on the top of the cap, to designate theclass to which he belongs. The summer-cap is as light as chip, to which itbears a resemblance. It is made of bamboo, in the shape of a cone, and,if the wearer be a government-officer, has attached to the ball a crimson silkornament, whi

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