(), also known as Cloud collar in English and sometimes referred as châr-qâb, is a Chinese term which can either to a four-lobed motif (more rarely an 8-lobed motif), or to a traditional Chinese garment accessory item in , the

Traditional clothing Folk costume, traditional dress, traditional attire or folk attire, is clothing of an ethnic group, nation or region, and expresses Cultural identity, cultural, Religious identity, religious or national identity. An ethnic group's clothing may a ...

of the

Han Chinese The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...

, which is typically found in the form of a detachable collar with cloud patterns and is worn over the shoulders area, similar to a

shawl A shawl (from ''shāl'') is a simple item of clothing, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular piece of Textile, cloth, but can also be Square (geometry), square or tr ...

. As an garment accessory, the is also typically found in four-lobed design although multi-lobed design also existed throughout history. The could also be applied directly on garments, where it would fall around the collar of robes onto the chest and shoulder region,or as a clothing

appliqué Appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces or patches of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. It is commonly used as decoration, especially on garments. The technique ...

. In

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, the has both ceremonial and practical uses when used in clothing. As a garment item, the was an important clothing element for Chinese women, especially in the

Ming The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Han people, t ...

and

Qing dynasties The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

; its usage was spread across China where it became associated with the

's wedding clothing. In

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

, brides would wear decorated with hanging ribbons and bells. It also had the practical use of preventing clothing from being dirty and oily by covering up the clothes and by covering up the stains. The is used in

Peranakan The Peranakan Chinese () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (region), Nanyang (), namely the British Empire, British, Portugu ...

wedding; the multi-layered worn by Chinese (and Chinese descents) brides on the day of their wedding is sometimes known as "phoenix collar". The also started to be worn by the Non-Chinese, the Tartars of northern China and Manchuria in the later medieval period. The motif was also used in Chinese ceramic work around the necks of vases and jars; mainly in the ceramics of the Yuan,

, and

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

period. It was used to decorate

blue and white porcelain "Blue and white pottery" () covers a wide range of white pottery and porcelain decorated underglaze, under the glaze with a blue pigment, generally cobalt(II) oxide, cobalt oxide. The decoration was commonly applied by hand, originally by brush p ...

Terminology

The cloud collar is named after the shape of the collar's lobes, which looks like a 'quadruple-cloud' in design when laid flat.

Cultural significance and symbolism

Chinese cosmology

The motif was originally used as a cosmic symbol in

In Chinese clothing

When used on

Chinese clothing Chinese clothing, including ethnic minority garments, and modern adaptations of indigenous styles, is a vital aspect of Chinese culture and civilization. For thousands of years, Chinese clothing has evolved with dynastic traditions, foreign infl ...

, the cloud shape is a symbolism which represent abundance while the neck opening is a symbolism for the "Sky gate" (i.e. the entrance to heaven). The lobes which point in 4-directions (typically) represents the universe. In the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

, the human body was perceived as the "axis column of the universe" and was considered an extension from the earth to the sky since the post-

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

period while a robe was considered as the "enveloping canopy of the Universe" which is the sky. The hole around at the neck of the sky-resembling robe may be been perceived as a symbolism of the "Sky gate" through which the axis column (i.e. the human body) is believed to penetrate through the "Sky gate". In

, this cosmological concept was maintained and could be seen in the cloud-studded upper part of the clothing, especially on the dragon robes. On the dragon robes, the represented the sky which was supported on the world; the world was represented by the motifs of mountains and seas which were decorating the base of the dragon robe. In the recent centuries, the motif has been mainly perceived as a purely decorative motif. In the late Ming and Qing dynasties, the cosmological was largely forgotten as the people became more materialistic, and by then, the motif became mainly an ornamental design. When the lobes of the were no longer perceived as representing the 4-directions, the number of lobes started to vary. The number of lobes were sometimes 3, 5, 6, 8 instead of the traditional use of the 4-lobes.

Origins

The origins of the appears to have been derived from multiple origins. There are also several hypotheses on their origins.According to Schuyler Cammann, the origins of motif is derived from the cosmological decorations which ornated the back of mirrors of the

. The earliest forms of the motif appeared on the Chinese bronze mirrors found at the end of the

Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ) was a royal dynasty of China that existed for 789 years from until 256 BC, the longest span of any dynasty in Chinese history. During the Western Zhou period (771 BC), the royal house, surnamed Ji, had military ...

(c. 4th and 3rd centuries BC). However, the

motif was not fully evolved; it was only during the

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

(c. 1st century AD) that the motif evolved fully. The motif may also have been derived from

persimmon The persimmon () is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus '' Diospyros''. The most widely cultivated of these is the Chinese and Japanese kaki persimmon, ''Diospyros kaki''. In 2022, China produced 77% of the world's p ...

calyx pattern, which may have been called pattern, a flower pattern with 4 petals with each petal showing a different direction) used in lacquer and bronze wares of the Han dynasty. The persimmon calyx pattern originated in the

Warring States Period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

and prevailed in the Han dynasty. The motif appears to have later been adapted to develop the actual garment collar.

Garment collar

Sui and Tang dynasties

The as a form of garment collar was developed in the

Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...

from a feather coat. Other sources indicate however that it first appeared in the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

and was an element of the Chinese court dress since Tang dynasty. In the Tang dynasty, the pattern of 4-petal leaf which was used in the motif changed in details and became a cross flower and thus developed in the usual pattern which would decorate on fabrics.

Song and Jin dynasties

The appears to have already been known in China as early as the

and since then, they have used extensively in their robes patterns. Till the Song dynasty, the design of the shows the combination of persimmon calyx motif and the ruyi clouds (auspicious clouds); this was also used in architecture of the Song dynasty. The clouds patterns can be found as early as in the bronze wares of the Shang and Zhou dynasties and they became popular in the Han dynasty. Cai_Wenji

The also had origins in the

Jin dynasty Jin may refer to: States Jìn 晉 * Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC * Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin * Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...

, where it is attested that it was first used on robes in literature. The first pictorial evidence of the pattern usage on robes is from the Jin dynasty in the painting ''Lady Wenji Returns to Han'' while the term "''"'' (雲肩) was also first document in the '' Jin shi'' in the description of the Jin dynasty imperial dress. According to the

Jinshi ''Jinshi'' () was the highest and final degree in the imperial examination in Imperial China. The examination was usually taken in the imperial capital in the palace, and was also called the Metropolitan Exam. Recipients are sometimes referre ...

: ''"Titled and royal lady and imperial relatives ... granted imperial carriage and dressings for carriage with sun and moon decorated on left and right of cloud shoulders, dragon pattern in yellow, saddle with five holes need to be changed”''. The imperial dress was also described to be yellow imperial robe decorated with dragon motifs which is worn with a decorated with the sun and moon.

Mongol period and Yuan dynasty

Prior to the conquest of the

, the

Mongols Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China ( Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family o ...

had already adopted the wearing of motifs. However according to the

History of Yuan The ''History of Yuan'' (), also known as the ''Yuanshi'', is one of the official Chinese historical works known as the '' Twenty-Four Histories'' of China. Commissioned by the court of the Ming dynasty, in accordance to political tradition, t ...

, the clothing system of the Yuan originated from the

; "''when the Yuan dynasty was founded, clothing and carriage decorations followed the old customs.

Kublai Khan Kublai Khan (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder and first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China. He proclaimed the ...

took the customs from the Jin and

to the Han and

''". The motif was popular in the

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...

and became a signature motif on both men's and women's clothing and could also be found on both ceramic and metal work. In the Yuan dynasty painting ''Khubilai Khan Hunting'', Empress Chabi is depicted wearing a white robe which is decorated with a cloud-collar motif on her chest and shoulders. Some of the attendant also wore Mongol robes with the motif. The Yuan dynasty pattern consisted of a 4-lobed cruciform-shaped design and would be found around the robe's collar covering the chest and shoulders areas. The Yuan dynasty motif was the combination of ruyi-

clouds In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles, suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may c ...

, persimmon calyx motif and ''bo,'' which was used to protect the necks of northern nomads from winds and sand; this also developed into the yunjian pattern which was used to decorate the shoulder region of clothing and became widely used in the clothing of nobles. In the Medieval periods, the motif appears to have been derived from the eight-petal lotus and the Buddhist Mandala. The no more appeared on the official robes after the fall of the Yuan dynasty in

China proper China proper, also called Inner China, are terms used primarily in the West in reference to the traditional "core" regions of China centered in the southeast. The term was first used by Westerners during the Manchu people, Manchu-led Qing dyn ...

. File:Man wearing a Mongol robe with underarm openings2.JPG, Male attendant wearing a red Mongol robe decorated with yuanjian motif; Yuan dynasty. File:Empress Chabi - Liu-Kuan-Tao-Jagd.JPG, Empress Chabi wearing a Mongol robe with a cloud collar motif, Yuan dynasty File:Mongol horserider with cloud collar, House of Ahmad and Ibrahim, Kubachi in the Caucasus, second half 14th century CE.jpg, Mongol horserider with "cloud collar", House of Ahmad and Ibrahim, Kubachi in the Caucasus, second half 14th century CE File:Donator Eachi. Reliquary of the Holy Cross of the Vegetarians (Khotakerats) (1300, donor- Prince Eacchi Proshian).jpg, Armenian Prince Eacchi Proshian on a reliquary circa 1300. He is wearing a Mongol-style dress (cloud collar).

Ming dynasty

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, the garment collar appears to have been popular in both China and Mongolia in this period. The Ming court once sent a with the design of gold-brocaded tiger and flower to a Mongolian chieftain. The 4-lobed cloud collar continued to be work around the collars of the Ming dynasty ceremonial robe.

Qing dynasty

The survived into the

period and was used in Chinese women's clothing. It became very popular and it could be found many forms and styles. In the 17th and 18th century AD, the was one of the most common

women fashion in China, along with

ruqun (;) is a set of attire in which consists of a short jacket typically called () worn under a long Chinese skirt called (). However, when use as a general term, can broadly describe a set of attire which consists of a separated upper garment ...

, ''taozi'' (绦子; i.e. a ribbon around the arm),

beizi Beizi (), also known as beizi () and chuozi (), is an item worn in Hanfu, traditional Chinese attire common to both men and women; it is typically a large loose outer coat with loose and long sleeves. It was most popular during the Song dynasty, ...

and

bijia Bijia () is a long, sleeveless jacket of Mongol origins which has opened side slits. The bijia started to be worn in the Yuan dynasty when it was designed by Empress Chabi. The ''bijia'' eventually became one of the most typical form of women's ...

. The could be sometimes be used as a detachable collar or could be found woven into the women's robe. More often however, the was found on the women's robe as an

. The practical use and the ceremonial associations of the may have contributed to the use of

on the ''ao'' or ''shan'' (i.e. a type of Chinese jackets) in the 19th century. File:MET DP14327.jpg, Qing dynasty cloud collar. File:MET DP14334.jpg, Qing dynasty cloud collar. File:MET DP14328.jpg, Qing dynasty cloud collar. File:MET 187837.jpg, Qing dynasty cloud collar. File:MET 80042.jpg, Qing dynasty cloud collar. File:Cloud collar painting by Tang Yin - Making the Bride's Gown.jpg, Woman wearing cloud collar in a painting, d. 1700–1825. File:Woman's Short Coat (China), early 19th century (CH 18565493).jpg, Woman's Short Coat (China) with a cloud collar appliqué, early 19th century (front view). File:Woman's Short Coat (China), early 19th century (CH 18565493-2).jpg, Woman's Short Coat (China) with a cloud collar appliqué, early 19th century (back view). File:Collar (AM 3512-7).jpg, Multi-layered cloud collar (section view). File:Collar (China), 19th century (CH 18397795).jpg, yunjian in 19th century In Qing, the became an indispensable item for women's wedding clothing, and by the 19th century, it was an important central element to the

women's celebratory clothing. The worn by the Han Chinese as ceremonial clothing and for wedding was a detachable collar which was worn on top of the
mang ao
' (i.e. the dragon jacket) and the Qing dynasty ''

xiapei Xiapei (), also known as hapi () in Korea, is a type of Chinese clothing accessory in either the form of a long scarf, a neckband, or in the shape of waistcoat depending on the time period. It was also referred as xiapeizhui () when it was orname ...

'' (a type of stole). China_2006_7-57

Republic of China

The continued to appear in the Chinese robes during the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

. File:Robe, long (AM 960-2).jpg, Chinese long robe with cloud collar motif.

21st century

In the 21st century, modern started to be used to ornate the modern

hanfu ''Hanfu'' (, lit. "Han Chinese, Han clothing"), also known as ''Hanzhuang'' (), are the traditional styles of clothing worn by the Han Chinese since the 2nd millennium BCE. There are several representative styles of ''hanfu'', such as the (an ...

; however, it has gradually lost its original cultural significance.

Chinese opera costumes

The was also worn in women

Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...

costumes. File:Office of Great Peace Album of Opera Faces 1-15.jpg, Picture depicting makeup for characters in the Peking opera, Qing dynasty. File:Office of Great Peace Album of Opera Faces 1-33.jpg, Picture depicting makeup for characters in the Peking opera, Qing dynasty. File:宮衣-Theatrical Robe for the Role of a Princess MET 1970 274 front sf.jpg, 宮衣-Theatrical Robe for the Role of a Princess with a cloud collar motif. File:MET DP-1287-002.jpg, Theatrical Robe with a cloud collar.

Chinese ceramics

The use of the cloud collar motif on ceramic works appears to more commonly on the

ceramics although this ceramic design could have already been developed during the

. The cloud collar motif used around the necks of Chinese jars and vases could have been derived from the cloud collar (clothing item) or may have been developed independently from the actual collar as the jars and vases were themselves perceived as a miniature version of the universe. In ceramics, the motif could also appear in the form of a -head border, which was derived from the head of the , a sacred

fungus A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

for the Chinese people.

Influences and derivatives

Clothing

Islamic Cultural sphere

During the Mongol invasion of Eurasia, the Mongols brought new artistic concepts to the Islamic cultural sphere, including Persia, and in

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

. It continued to appears in the arts of the Timurid (1370–1507) and

Safavid The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

(1501–1736) period. In manuscript paintings of the

Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate or Il-khanate was a Mongol khanate founded in the southwestern territories of the Mongol Empire. It was ruled by the Il-Khans or Ilkhanids (), and known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (). The Ilkhanid realm was officially known ...

(1256–1335), the ', which were one of the distinctive Mongol fashion accessories, is depicted. In the Babur-náma, the cloud collar is referred as châr-qâb, which was either a garment or a shawl which was bestowed to its wearer as a mark of rank. The châr-qâb with four-lobed, either woven or embroidered with

gold thread Goldwork is the art of embroidery using metal threads. It is particularly prized for the way light plays on it. The term "goldwork" is used even when the threads are imitation gold, silver, or copper. The metal wires used to make the threads h ...

, was often seen as a garment motif in Timurid paintings and was associated with the Turkic rulers of Central Asia. The Timurid court had sent items to the Chinese court which was accepted as tributes. The Chinese also sent a made of gold brocade with tiger design, as well as royal robes and garments, to Sharukh. Drawings of cloud collars were also produced in western

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

during the second half of the 1400s under the patronage of the Turkmen; the drawing traditional was developed through the interactions with the Chinese models. File:HulaguAndDokuzKathun.JPG, Yunjian motif on robes, by Rachid Al-Din File:Tolui Khan.jpg, Tolui Khan wearing a half-sleeve robe with yunjian motif File:Arghun et Tegüder.jpeg, Arghun and Tegüder, Ilkhanate File:CoronationOfOgodei1229.jpg, Coronation of Ogodei,1229 File:Djengiz Khân et Toghril Ong Khan.jpeg,

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...

and Wang Khan, by Rashid al-Din.

Nestorian art

Some Nestorian arts depict the cloud collar; for example, a Nestorian headstone which was discovered at the site of Xia Shrine (a district once reserve for Muslim and Christian burial) depict an angel dressed in Mongol style wearing a ''yunjian''.

Japan

The Chinese cloud collar was also introduced in the arts of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

where it is depicted on the image of the bodhisattva Manjusri.

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

, the Chinese ''yunjian'' appears to have directly influenced the scalloped collars which are one of the most prominent features on Southeast Asian aristocratic ceremonial clothing, and in particular, the court dancers clothing. These Southeast Asian cloud collar, which are also worn around the breasts and collar area, are ornamented with gold and silver, with

embroidery Embroidery is the art of decorating Textile, fabric or other materials using a Sewing needle, needle to stitch Yarn, thread or yarn. It is one of the oldest forms of Textile arts, textile art, with origins dating back thousands of years across ...

, and contained gold leaf glue-work; they are often styled in Indianized forms of jewellery while the gold and silver decorations on the collars (especially found in the

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula is located in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area contains Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Tha ...

Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...

, and

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

) are the results of the Chinese influence and Chinese

craftsmanship Workmanship is a human attribute relating to knowledge and skill at performing a task. Workmanship is also a quality imparted to a product. The type of work may include the creation of handcrafts, art, writing, machinery and other products. Workma ...

. In

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, the Thai royal and theatrical clothing also included a form of cloud collar-like ornament which form peaked at the shoulders. In

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

, the Burmese officials used to wear court clothing which containe
a tiered and peaked cloud collar
The Indonesian '
lengkung léhér
'' (i.e. a ceremonial collar) worn by

Palembang Palembang (, Palembang: ''Pelémbang'', Mandarin: 巨港 (Jùgǎng), Hokkien: 舊港 (Kū-káng), Jawi: ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River in the ea ...

brides and court dancers, and similar cloud collars worn in the

Malay peninsula The Malay Peninsula is located in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area contains Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Tha ...

appears to be a reflection of the historical presence of the Chinese brides in the Malay court. The Peranakan Chinese brides wear cloud collars, which is sometimes referred as the "phoenix collar", as part of their wedding set of attire. The phoenix collar is multi-layered and the overlapping layers are movable which represent the feathers of a phoenix. The

Peranakans The Peranakan Chinese () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (region), Nanyang (), namely the British Empire, British, Portugu ...

are the descendants of the late 15th and 16th century AD Chinese traders who brought their culture to Southeast Asia, including Chinese traditions and clothing. The phoenix is the symbol of the empress and is an auspicious symbol for the Peranakan community. Following the Malay tradition, the couples were allowed to be treated like royalty on the day of their wedding. The Chinese ''yunjian'' was also worn by the Chinese immigrants in

in 1900s.

Ceramics

Some Mexican artists borrowed the cloud collar motif which was frequently used on the Chinese vases and adapted it in their own ceramic work. This can be seen from
Mexican vase dating from the late 17th-18th century
where the Mexican artist expanded the cloud collar motif until it almost covered the entire surface of the vase.

References

{{Types of Han Chinese clothing Chinese traditional clothing Chinese art Chinese folk art Visual motifs Ornaments