tribaltextiles.info

I am looking for some informations about a very particular chinese cloth only made with hundred and hundred bamboo pearls. I have seen some jackets with or without sleeves. I only know than it is a kind of underwear, to protect the body against the heat during the hot season. Well, I don't know the original source but it is not really a tribal cloth. I will try to send pictures. If somebody have some more informations?

Originially posted 23 Apr 03

Olivier, I know the kind of jacket that you mean. I saw some in Kunming, Yunnan Province in 2000 - they were being sold for tourists (local and overseas) near Dian Lake but based on tradition and I tried some on and one of the party I was with bought. I seem to remember that there was detailed information about them in the shop selling them - but I have to confess that I cannot remember the details! I will keep a look out for information. I may have something in my libary. I agree that I think they are designed to keep a person cool in a hot/humid climate.

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Pamela

http://www.tribaltextiles.info
on-line tribal textiles resource

Olivier, 'my friend google' had some fascinating finds when I put in 'bamboo vest'. One whole site devoted to bamboo articles including modern clothes. I am posting a link here to the University of Hawaii at Manoa which has a most unusual bamboo vest from Korea and says it is for wearing under silk to give air circulation - which makes sense since silk does stick to the skin hold in the heat. http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu/costume/material%20.htm
There are some other very nice unusual 'fabric' garments on this web page so I thought I would share it. Pamela

Pamela, Many thanks for this great link. These Korean "jacket" is exactly the same kind of cloth.I was wondering if the chinese one was only from Yunnan or from a bigger part of China?

Olivier, some more on your 'bamboo pearl jacket'. I recently received a catalogue from a selling exhibition of Qing period robes which included a photo of and text about a bamboo waistcoat from the "'In Focus' The Robe" exhibition at the Linda Wrigglesworth gallery in Mayfair London (34 Brook Street, London W1K 5DN) during the month of June 2003. Details from info@lindawrigglesworth.com . There are some of the photos of clothes from the exhibition on the website http://www.lindawrigglesworth.com which includes one of the bamboo waistcoat. The text explains:

“The magnificently decorated ceremonial and celebrational robes of the Qing period were worn over several layers of dress. In China one alluded to the coldness of the day by referring to the number of layers needed to keep warm…… Underwear consisted of a pair of breeches and a short shirt. Over this might be worn a vest or jacket made entirely of tiny pieces of bamboo strung in a net-like structure. The bamboo vest was similar in principle to the old fashioned Western string vest. The network of bamboo created an air pocket that trapped the body heat, insulating the wearer from extreme temperatures.”

_________________
Pamela

http://www.tribaltextiles.info
on-line tribal textiles resource

About the clothes made with small pieces of bamboo, I have also found a similar exemple of japanese jacket called "ase tori" in a german book, page 134/135,"Bambus im alten Japan/Bamboo in old japan", Arnoldsche publisher. The legend is "Among pieces of clothing, there are also undershirts in net technique, made of countless small pieces of bamboo cane. Originally there were just square of netting, tied at the four corners at the back, but overtime have developped a jacket shape. Produced by peasants, in former time they were worn by street vendors, sailors, etc...and not infrequently by samurai." These kind of clothes seems to have been produced in all east asia.