vivian wang China, b. 1945
Girl in Red, 2021
Cast glass, stoneware, gold leaf, crystal gemstones
23.5"H x 12"W x 8"D
Copyright The Artist
Further images
GIRL IN RED portrays a young Mongolian girl during the Yuan Dynasty (1279 - 1368) when all of China was under Mongolian rule. Her attire is a blend of Mongolian...
GIRL IN RED portrays a young Mongolian girl during the Yuan Dynasty (1279 - 1368) when all of China was under Mongolian rule. Her attire is a blend of Mongolian and Han Chinese elements, a style permitted by the Mongolians in the Yuan Dynasty court.
The girl’s “vest” with wide flanged shoulders was a popular Mongolian silhouette, yet the row of tiny buttons down the center front of her bodice is a Chinese detail. Mongolian dress did not have buttons. They closed their garments by braiding the fringed edges.
Her sleeves are very wide, a Chinese feature, but her “vest” is fitted at the waist, which is a Mongolian silhouette. The metallic trim on her garments is indicative of both the Han Chinese and Mongolian style. For the Chinese, the color red of her dress symbolizes good fortune and joy. Red in Mongolian culture was the official color of the elite.
During the time of Mongolian rule in China, the Han Chinese of Northern China adopted Mongol clothing to show their allegiance to the New Mongol Yuan rulers. Southern elites who resisted the Mongol rule continued to wear the Chinese-style clothing of the previous Song Dynasty, overthrown by the great Mongol emperor, Genghis Khan.
The girl’s “vest” with wide flanged shoulders was a popular Mongolian silhouette, yet the row of tiny buttons down the center front of her bodice is a Chinese detail. Mongolian dress did not have buttons. They closed their garments by braiding the fringed edges.
Her sleeves are very wide, a Chinese feature, but her “vest” is fitted at the waist, which is a Mongolian silhouette. The metallic trim on her garments is indicative of both the Han Chinese and Mongolian style. For the Chinese, the color red of her dress symbolizes good fortune and joy. Red in Mongolian culture was the official color of the elite.
During the time of Mongolian rule in China, the Han Chinese of Northern China adopted Mongol clothing to show their allegiance to the New Mongol Yuan rulers. Southern elites who resisted the Mongol rule continued to wear the Chinese-style clothing of the previous Song Dynasty, overthrown by the great Mongol emperor, Genghis Khan.