Band Rising

Back in the old days, Europeans had a fever for Chinese tea sets. These great items from thousands of miles away had qualities that no one had ever seen or could duplicate. The price for fine china tea sets was quite high, but it was well worth it for those who had money. The colors and material fascinated almost everyone who saw them.

Suddenly, a new kind of porcelain china tea set was made in Jingdezhen, and merchants set off almost immediately. This was the last 1720s, and there was still a huge market for these items back home, especially if it was something new.

What was this new Chinese tea set? Famille rose, one of the most colorful varieties of Chinese porcelain.

When compared to earlier porcelain, Famille Rose was remarkable for how many colors it incorporated. Making such vibrant colors required much more sophisticated techniques. Painters applied their skills to these tea sets, and potters had to come up with new ways of firing the porcelain so as not to damage the delicate color pigments. The result was truly remarkable.

No wonder Emperor Kangxi, a big time Famille Rose lover, dispatched the best imperial painters to make batch of Famille Rose porcelain that was used to decorate his study.

But the truth is, there was much more to this porcelain than what happened in China. Not many people know it, but Europe had some monumental contributions as well.

Where did the color come from? Some scholars say enamels were introduced into China by Jesuit missionaries. This could explain why there were no such colors before the 18th century.

But that’s not all, because the pigments had to continuously come from abroad for many years. The Chinese didn’t actually know how to make those colors themselves, so they had to rely on importing it from Europe.

After the first batch of Famille Rose porcelain hit European markets, Europeans simply couldnt get enough of it. The import of this beautiful porcelain survives to this day. Today, an exquisite antique Famille Rose china tea set runs millions of dollars as collectors compete with each other at auctions.

Cheongsams were invented in Shanghai during the 1920′s by people who wished to add modern flair to traditional women’s dresses, and they turned out to be a huge success. In the beginning, they were only worn by upper-class women in Shanghai. But in a very short time, they became popular with almost all young women throughout China. Nowadays they are still very popular, and even international movie stars like to wear them at important events. Look for a beautiful cheongsam in one of the local shops when you are shopping in Beijing.

There is controversy as to whether or not a cheongsam can represent authentic Chinese style, because this dress was developed based on the traditional clothing of the Manchu, an ethnic minority group that ruled China from 1644 to 1911.

But nevertheless, cheongsams came to be admired as one of the rare Chinese dresses that “liberates” rather than “oppresses” Chinese women. Unlike its loose-fitting predecessor, the “qipao” that was designed to completely cover up the figure of a woman, cheongsams were designed to be worn tight on a woman’s body so her features are shown in a tantalizing way.

During the 1930′s, cheongsam fashion reached a height in mainland China, as this dress came to represent all the desirable attributes a young, modern Chinese woman wanted to possess: high status, feminine beauty, and a good taste in fashion. They also felt they had been truly liberated from an age of backwardness and ignorance during the last dynasty. However, the Communist Revolution in 1949 abruptly ended this fashion and the cheongsam disappeared on mainland China for 30 years. It was only revived here recently.

Over the last 80 years, the basic design of cheongsam has remained the same. A lot of changes have been made, but they were limited to only a few details: the zipper, collar, sleeves, slit, and the length of the dress.

Below is a short list of the specially-made details on a cheongsam:

Zipper – round, straight, square, side, ruyi, and pipa

Collar – high, low, and collarless

Sleeves – long, short, and sleeveless

Slit – long, short, single, and double

Length – full-length, ankle-length, mid-thigh, and extra-short

“Beijing Style” from Beijing and “Shanghai Style” from Shanghai were two main styles of cheongsams in mainland China before 1949. “Beijing Style” was a conservative design that was more welcomed by the government officials and traditional people. “Shanghai Style” was a progressive design that borrowed heavily from western trends and suited the needs of the young and trendy.

Pure silk, cloth, brocade, and wool are the main materials used to create cheongsams. Traditional flower patterns done in the style of Chinese paintings are found on most cheongsams. Some people believe, in order to have a sense of age-old elegance, a woman wearing a cheongsam should hold an oil paper umbrella in one hand and a fragrant fan in the other.

To keep the cheongsam you buy in a good condition, remember to store it properly. There are many ways to properly store a cheongsam, but one thing you should keep in mind is to always dry-clean it and hang it in a closet. When you are shopping in Beijing, it’s a good idea to find a personal shopper to help you find the best cheongsam shops.