Page 257 - Trang Phục Việt Nam

into developing production methods. There were huge advances in the weaving industry. The
raising of silk-worms became more popular and crude cotton fabrics, jute fabrics, silks, and
smooth calico fabrics were made. Even banana tree and bamboo tree fibers were used to
make clothing. The former was named Giao Chỉ fabric. A type of beautifully embroidered
cotton scarf was called bạch diệp. In addition, there were many new developments in the
manufacture of gold and silver adornments including rings, bracelets, earrings and brooches.
Adornments such as bracelets and rings were made from precious stones, amber and glass.
Strings of beads were made from the same materials. During the years 479-502, in the period
of Qi rule, silver đâu mâu hats were made, to be paid as tribute to the Northern dynasties.
Archaeologists also have found some types of buckles, which provided evidence that wearing
belts was popular.

After ten centuries under Northern rule, the glorious victory on the BạchĐằngRiver led by
General Ngô Quyền (938), set an important landmark in our history. He proclaimed himself
Emperor, and laid the foundation for an independent nation. Regretfully, the Ngô Dynasty did
not last long because of the early death of Ngô Quyền in 944, leaving many unsolved state
affairs. However, Ngô Quyền was able to fix civil and military titles, regulations for the imperial
rituals, and especially the colors of mandarin’s costumes for different official ranks.

Ngô Quyền’s statues, worshipped in some regions, showed some of the distinctions in
terms of clothing. To be more exact, the outer garment of his statue in the HàngKênhTemple,
Hải Phòng, was adorned with designs, while the other statues did not have designs. Yet, they
both were the same kind of imperial robe, with designs of dragons, circular collar, and broad
sleeves. The bonnet was two-layered, with two outwardly slanted round dragonfly’s swings.
These details suggested that these statues might have been sculpted some centuries after
the Ngô Dynasty. This is because only in the Posterior Lê Dynasty were the regulations about
designs on imperial robes and types of headgear mentioned. The other possibility is that the
designs and bonnets were long in use, but were improved in terms of design only in the Lê
Dynasty.
Until the Đinh Dynasty (968-980), in historical records, clothing was only mentioned in a few
sections. First, in 974 the costumes of soldiers was described as: “Soldiers wear flat caps,
with square lateral faces, made of leather, with the four edges closely sewn together and
broadened from top to the brim, and called tứ phương bình đính.” Armour was also in use.
Then “in the sixth Year of Peace (975), Đinh Tiên Hoàng set the dress codes for civil and
military officials to indicate rank.” In 980, in a letter from the Song Dynasty to our court, it was
mentioned that people at that time all wore short haircuts. In addition, it is also said that
hermits often wore yellow caps, and monks wore dark cassocks. For court officials, those who
were allowed to use a gold seal wore violet belts, and blue belts were for those who used a
silver seal.
Under the Anterior Lê Dynasty (981-1009), King Lê Đại Hành ascended his throne wearing a
royal tunic, and from then on his outer garments were often made with red fabric, and the caps
were adorned with pearls. The permanent imperial soldiers at the court branded on their
foreheads the three words Thiên tử quân (Soldiers of the Son of God).

The Lý Dynasty: royal costumes