Dressing as horsemen: the universalisation of steppe dress in the first half of Tang dynasty China (618-755)

Thesis

This thesis studies the widespread use of a kind of riding dress by the ruling class in the first half of Tang dynasty China (618-755). In contrast to the traditional type of dress of the Han people, generally a full-length attire with wide sleeves, the riding dress, an ensemble of tight-sleeved robe, trousers, belt and boots, had its origins in the typical attire of steppe peoples, developed out of the need to enhance efficiency and comfort while riding. The primary question of this thesis is: Why did the Tang elite choose to wear such practical clothing of foreign origin as ordinary attire? Previous studies tend to regard the diffusion of the riding dress as a natural consequence of the preceding situation, that is, the intrusion of steppe peoples and correspondingly of their clothing customs into mainland China during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (386-589). This thesis tackles the question from a new angle, first, by effectively synthesising iconographic, textual and archaeological materials and, secondly, by taking into account recent historiography on Tang politics emphasising on the interethnic political networking at the Tang court in the context of the competitive and entangled interstate relationships in Eastern Eurasia that the Tang experienced in its attempt to survive. To incorporate people of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds into the political hierarchy, the Tang court needed a visual symbol of status and office that could be widely accepted by both the Han people and foreigners. This thesis defends that the riding dress served this role by being bestowed upon clients as a common insignia with Chinese titles and making the status ranking system visual. This thesis also reveals that the adoption of luxury silks with hybrid designs was an essential factor that contributed to elevating the status of the riding dress from a local steppe dress to a dress that suited the aristocrats’ tastes.

Authors: Nomoto, K

• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: the Tang dynasty; patrimonial politics; silk; dress; silk roads; late antiquity; horse culture; gift-giving; Steppe peoples
• Subjects: Robes; Archaeology