Object Note
Part of a two-piece ensemble along with a collar (ZI2015.500847 ASIA).
Object History
This silk and lace skirt with two pleated sides and a flat front and missing the rear panel, is a part of a type of horse face skirt (mamianqun). It was purchased from a dealer in China by Dr. Reem El Mutwalli in 2015 and was incorporated into the Zay Initiative collections.
Object Features
This delicate piece of panelled fabric is one half of a variation of a mamianqun – horse-faced skirt – called (yulinqun). The piece comprises three primary panels. The two side panels are plain (satin) (damask) with (appliqued) lace trimmings and embroidered designs while the central or middle panel is composed of seven different satin damask fabrics in seven different colours intricately pleated.
Attached to an ivory linen broad waistband, this piece has (frog_fasteners) for wrapping it around the waist. The two side panels are both in satin damask but in two different colours. While one flaunts an ivory panel the other flaunts a coral. Both these panels are mirrored in design distribution. Both feature ivory cotton lace trimmings appliqued to them primarily in a straight line except for the cloud formations on the sides. This is panelled or bordered off with a black satin fabric.
The ivory panel enjoys an extensive array of (satin_stitch) embroidered floral arrangements of a central large peony in ivory and shades of pink with smaller peonies and other flowers in shades of lavender and foliage in shades of green. The coral panel features an equally extensive array of stain_stitch embroidered aviary arrangements of a central phoenix surrounded by other birds like swallows, cranes, and ducks near a water body with floral and foliage motives in the background.
The central panel is constructed of seven different shades of satin damask fabrics that are finely pleated and sewn by hand. These thin fine pleats are further secured by a series of alternate horizontal stitches and a series of (basting_stitches) on the underside. These series of multiple stitches give the skirt a fish scale or honeycomb effect when the fabric is manoeuvred by the wearer while walking. Thus, it is this fish scale effect what the skirt is named after.
It is believed that the name of the skirt is actually inspired by architecture, particularly by a type of squarish protrusion on a city wall that forms the base of towers or bastions. These protrusions are known as “ma-mian” or “horse faces” in Chinese because of their long, square shape. The skirt gets its cascading box shape from rolling pleats that fold inward towards the sides, creating a flat front and back with a slight flare from the sides. This shape bears a striking resemblance to the incline of Chinese fortifications.
Interestingly the Yulinqun first made its appearance around c.19th century and gained popularity in the capital city of Beijing in c.1860s during the Tongzhi era.
This piece in the collection of the Zay Initiative is just one half of a skirt with the other half of the skirt a reflection of this piece in pattern and design whereby the pleated portions would fall along the side of the wearer.
With just a handful of countries earning mentions in the “Object range” section due to technical limitation, one must never forget the vast range of influence the Chinese culture have had throughout Southeast Asia. As such it would not be presumptuous to categorize all the countries of the region under this section where the mamianqun could have made an appearance in some form or another. Today the Yulinqun with its characteristic of hundreds of tiny pleats continues to be popular, especially amongst the actors of the Peking opera.
In 2022 luxury fashion brand Dior was accused of cultural appropriation following the release of a black flared pleated midi skirt in their Fall collection of the year as their “hallmark silhouette”. Dior was accused of plagiarism because the new skirt was considered to be a replica of a traditional Chinese mamianqun, without any recognition of the potential Chinese influence on the design.
Links
- “Skirt (China), 19th century”.
- https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2016/06/06/a-poetic-skirt/
- https://www.si.edu/object/skirt%3Achndm_1941-31-31
- “Chinese Skirts of the Qing dynasty”
- https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O486336/ma-mian-qun-skirt-unknown/
- https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O107817/ao-qun-jacket-and-skirt-unknown/
- https://trc-leiden.nl/trc/index.php/en/blog/719-horse-riding-and-elegance-in-a-chinese
- https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1272024.shtml
- https://styleonthedot.com/2022/07/15/what-is-a-horse-faced-skirt/
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