Looking for makeup from the Han and Tang dynasties

A review of makeup culture in the Han Dynasty

Written by: Li Ya

Abstract: Ancient Chinese makeup culture is an important part of cultural history. The study of it can not only It enables us to better understand the living customs, ideological concepts, aesthetic tastes, economic and trade development levels of the ancients, and can provide scientific reference for the modeling of contemporary drama, film and television characters. The Han Dynasty was an important paving period in the history of Chinese cosmetics. It made qualitative progress in both the production and styling of cosmetics compared to previous generations. It can be said that without the solid foundation of material, conceptual and formal beauty laid by the Han Dynasty, there would not have been the splendid splendor of the Wei, Jin and Tang Dynasties in the subsequent Chinese cosmetics history. This article attempts to present the basic appearance of Han Dynasty makeup culture to readers through the analysis of Han Dynasty cosmetics and makeup styling.

Keywords: Han Dynasty, cosmetics, makeup styling

Makeup, as a custom in people’s daily life and an important part of cultural history, has a long history in China. As early as the Neolithic Age, people have discovered pottery figures with patterns painted on their faces. The painting custom at this time reflects more of an ancient totem ritual than a modern one. As for the form of makeup that beautifies appearance, in the pre-Qin period, there are clear records of the use of fat, luster, powder, and daisy for cosmetics. However, in the pre-Qin Dynasty, due to the influence of the etiquette culture of the Central Plains, the requirements for moral character were more important than the modification of appearance. Coupled with the restrictions on the cosmetics production process and the import of raw materials, makeup at this time was basically in a "pink and white" The era of plain makeup in which "Daihe" is the mainstream.

The Han Dynasty was the dynasty in which the Han nation was formed and the spirit of Han culture was established. It was also the era in which the contention of a hundred schools of thought in the pre-Qin period ended and the aesthetic concept of pluralism and unity was formed. The rest and recuperation in the early Han Dynasty and the outstanding rule of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty not only made the Han Dynasty sociopolitically stable and relatively rich in various products, but also militarily defeated the Huns in the north, pacified South Vietnam in the south, and not only opened up the Silk Road on land , it also opened up maritime transportation in the south and greatly expanded the foreign trade of the Han Dynasty, which created good objective conditions for the production of cosmetics. Cosmetics such as lead powder, rouge, and synthetic fragrances were all popularized at this time. In terms of ideology and culture, the early Han Dynasty adopted a loose policy. While advocating and admiring Confucianism, it did not exclude other schools of thought and began to compile and study cultural classics. At the same time, Han culture also absorbed a large amount of Chu culture, injecting the primitive witchcraft preserved in Chu culture and the romantic spirit of mythology into northern culture, thus producing a style that combines a deep rational spirit with bold romantic fantasy. Vibrant and magnificent Han culture. This magnificent Han culture undoubtedly had an important impact on the aesthetic concepts of makeup in the Han Dynasty, and promoted the rapid development of all aspects of makeup. The Han Dynasty became an important turning point in the history of ancient Chinese makeup, laying a solid foundation for the splendid history of Chinese makeup in later generations.

1. Overview of Cosmetics in the Han Dynasty

In the Han Dynasty, due to the development of science and technology and the opening of the land and sea Silk Road, the production process of cosmetics has made great progress, and the raw materials of cosmetics have also been greatly enriched. . For example, two well-preserved cosmetic boxes were unearthed from Han Tomb No. 1 in Mawangdui, Changsha, dating to the early Western Han Dynasty. The first one contained nine small boxes containing various cosmetics. The textures of the cosmetics inside are powdery, oily and lumpy. [①] Its specific formula and use cannot be verified at present. However, according to the research on the history of makeup in the Han Dynasty, the variety of cosmetics in the Han Dynasty was very comprehensive, including all kinds of cosmetics, including gloss, pink and black, basically covering all major categories of cosmetics.

(1) Facial balm

Facial balm is a balm that is used to moisturize the face and can also be applied to the lips. Liu Xi of the Han Dynasty wrote in "Shi Ming Shi Jewelry": "Fat means grinding. The surface is as smooth as a grinding stone." It describes that after applying facial fat on the face, it will be as smooth as a fine, flat stone. "Zhi" in "Jijiupian" of Han History Travel, Tang Yanshi's ancient note: "Zhi refers to facial fat and lip fat, both of which are smooth and greasy."

(2) Ze

Ze is also called Lanze, Xiangze, aromatic resin, etc. It is a balm used to coat hair. "Shi Ming Shi Jewelry" written by Liu Xi of the Han Dynasty said: "Fragrance, the fragrance enters the hair and is dry and dry, so as to moisturize it." "Anointing" in "Jijiu Pian" of Han Shiyou said: " For the paste, you can gather all kinds of fragrance and fry it in a paste to moisturize your hair. It means that dry hair can be made shiny by applying fragrance to it. "Qifa" of Han Meicheng states: "Mengjiu". Dust, by Lanze. ” refers to this thing.

(3) Make-up powder

Make-up powder is the fragrant powder used for makeup, which can be divided into white powder and red powder. People have known it since the Zhou Dynasty. In addition to rice flour, lead powder was also invented during the Qin and Han Dynasties. The invention of any new thing must be related to the development of production technology at that time. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, Taoist alchemy was popular, and Qin Shihuang searched for "elixirs" in order to achieve immortality. The development of alchemy and the improvement of smelting technology in the Han Dynasty provided the technical conditions for the invention of lead powder. , and it became popular as a cosmetic. Zhang Heng's "Ding Qing Fu" in the Han Dynasty said: "Thinking about the face will cause the beauty to appear, and suffering from the absence of the spirit will lead to lack of luster." "In language, a new vocabulary is often born with the emergence of new concepts or new things.

The use of the word lead powder in literary works of the Han Dynasty is by no means accidental. It should be a reflection of the social existence of lead powder. Lead powder is usually made of lead, tin and other materials, and is converted into powder after chemical treatment. The main component is basic lead carbonate. Lead powder comes in two forms: solid and paste. The solid ones are often processed into the shape of tiles or silver ingots, and are called "tile powder" or "ding (ingot) powder"; the pasty ones are commonly known as "hu (paste) powder" or "gouache powder". Liu Xi of the Han Dynasty's "Shiming·Shijie": "Hu powder. Hu means paste, and the fat is mixed with it like paste to coat the face." Therefore, some people think that "Hu powder" is the powder of Hu people, which is wrong. Lead powder can add brilliance and color to a person's appearance, so it is also called "lead beauty".

In addition to white makeup powder, there was also red makeup powder in the Han Dynasty for cheek makeup. Liu Xi of the Han Dynasty wrote in "Shi Ming·Shi Jewelry": "The powder is red, the powder is red, and the cheeks are red." The second part of "Nineteen Ancient Poems" writes: "E'e'e's red makeup makes her slender. "Out of plain hands."

In addition to powdering noodles, there was also talcum powder in the Han Dynasty, which was usually made into powder and mixed with spices. It was sprinkled on the body after bathing to have a cooling and smooth effect. Mostly used in summer. It is written in "Zhao Feiyan's Biography" by Lingxuan of the Han Dynasty: "Hou took a bath in the five-yun and seven-scented soup, sitting on a seat of Tongxiang sinking water;... Jieyu bathed in cardamom soup, and Fu Luhua's Baiying powder." [②]

The history of rouge is very long, and there are different records in ancient books about its starting time. "Zhonghua Ancient and Modern Notes" said: "The Yanzhi covered it since Zhou, and the blue flower juice condensed into Yanzhi." However, Gao Cheng of the Song Dynasty said in "Shijiyuan": "In the palace of Qin Shihuang, there are all red makeup and green eyebrows. The beginning of makeup.” From the excavated archaeological data, the dressing box unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tomb No. 1 already contains rouge and other cosmetics. The owner of this tomb was the wife of a Tuohou at that time. The tomb was dated to about the fifth year of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty (175 BC), which was only 40 years after the fall of Qin Dynasty. It can be seen that at the latest during the Qin and Han Dynasties, women had already used rouge to make up their cheeks.

The main raw material for making rouge in ancient times was red and blue flowers. Red and blue flowers, also known as "yellow and blue" and "red flowers", were introduced to our country from the Xiongnu. Since the Han Dynasty, there have been many military battles between Han and Huns. For example, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty launched three large-scale counterattacks. King Hunxie of the right Xiongnu led 40,000 people to surrender to the Han Dynasty; Returned to the Han Dynasty; in the 24th year of Emperor Guangwu's founding, the Xiongnu who were stationed in the south drove the king to surrender in large numbers to Wangyuan Fortress. Coupled with the exchanges between officials and the people, it opened up a broad way for the communication and inheritance of the cultural customs of the Han and Hungarian peoples. It was against this historical background of great exchanges and mixed living that the production, use and promotion of "rouge" gradually spread to the palaces of the Han Dynasty and the vast areas bordering our country and the Huns.

Song Dynasty's "Jiayou Materia Medica" records: "Red and blue are pungent and warm in taste, non-toxic. They can be used as rouge. They were born in Liang, Han and the Western Regions, and are known as Huanglan." Zhang Hua's "Natural History" records: "'Yellow Blue' was obtained by Zhang Qian. It is also cultivated in Cang and Wei today, and people in recent times have grown more of it. The flowers were harvested, dried, and used to dye silk. The color is brighter than ashes. It is called 'True Red', also called 'Bright Red'." The grass is called "Honghua". The dried silk will turn yellow when first stained, so it is also called Huanglan. "Historical records indicate that Zhang Qian brought it back to China during his mission to the Western Regions because the flower came from it. Yanzhi Mountain, so the Han people called the red cosmetics made from it "Yanzhi". "Yanzhi" is the transliteration of Hu, and later generations also wrote it as "Yanzhi", "Xianzhi", "Yanzhi", "Yanzhi" and "Runzhi". In the Han Dynasty, red and blue flowers, as an important economic crop and cosmetic material, had widely entered the social life of the Huns. Therefore, after Huo Qubing conquered the Yanzhi and Qilian Mountains, the Huns lamented and sang: " Losing my Qilian Mountains will deprive my animals of their ability to live; losing my Yanzhi Mountains will deprive my women of color."

In addition to using red and blue flowers as rouge, the early Han Dynasty in Jiangsu, Haizhou and Changsha, Hunan. Among the items unearthed from the tomb, cinnabar was also found used as cosmetics in the dressing box. The main component of cinnabar is mercury sulfide, and contains a small amount of iron oxide, clay and other impurities. It can be ground into powder for facial makeup.

(5) Eyebrow Dai

It is the stone Dai used to draw eyebrows. Liu Xi of the Han Dynasty wrote in "Shi Ming Shi Jewelry": "Dai means generation. You can remove the eyebrows and use this painting to replace them." So what is "Dai"? Popular literature says: "Dyeing bluestone is called Diandai." From this point of view, Dai is a kind of mineral, which the Han people call "bluestone" and also "Shidai". It belongs to the category of "graphite" in mineralogy. Because of its smooth and greasy texture, it can be used on eyebrows, so it was also nicknamed "thrush stone". This is China's natural ink. Before smoked ink was invented, men used it to write and women used it to draw their eyebrows. When using Shi Dai, grind it into powder on a special Dai inkstone, then mix it with water and apply it to your eyebrows. Later, processed Dai blocks became available, which could be directly mixed with water. Dai inkstones from the Han Dynasty are often found in tombs across the north and south. Bluestone inkstones were unearthed from the tombs of the Western Han Dynasty in Nanchang, Jiangsu Province, and inkstones from the Eastern Han Dynasty were unearthed in Xinzhuang, Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, with traces of inkstone still stuck on them. A powdered black stone was also found in a Han Dynasty comb box unearthed from Luobo Bay, Guixian County, Guangxi.

(6) Lip balm

Lip balm is also mentioned in the book "Shiming·Shi Jewelry" by Liu Xi of the Han Dynasty: "Lip balm is made of red, which looks like red lips." Ye." This shows that the custom of lip tapping was no later than the Han Dynasty. Dan is a red mineral pigment also called cinnabar.

However, cinnabar itself is not sticky and has poor adhesion. If it is applied to the lips, it will be quickly dissolved by the mouth foam. Therefore, the ancients infiltrated an appropriate amount of animal fat into the cinnabar, and the lip balm made from this was both It has waterproof properties, adds luster to the color, and can prevent lips from getting chapped, making it an ideal cosmetic product. Actual lipsticks have been found in tombs of the Western Han Dynasty in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, Changsha, Hunan and other places. When they were unearthed, they were still in the dowry. Although they have been buried underground for more than two thousand years, their color is still bright red.

(7) Spices

In the cosmetic culture, the use of fragrance is a very important part. Since ancient times, women’s cosmetics have always been fragrant. Facial grease and mouth balm are also called "balsam", shampoo is called "xiangze", makeup powder is called "fragrant powder", and the toiletry box containing mirror grates and rouge oil powder is also called As "fragrance", spices and cosmetics are inseparable. Spices can not only fragrant the body, but also allow people to smell their fragrance before seeing them, creating a mysterious and alluring effect that cannot be achieved by makeup or clothing. Moreover, spices also have health-care functions such as repelling mosquitoes and eliminating filth, calming and calming the nerves, and sterilizing and disinfecting.

Many spices were unearthed in Mawangdui Han Tomb No. 1. The ones that can be identified today include Zanthoxylum bungeanum, cinnamon, coriander, galangal, ginger, magnolia, Duheng, Ligusticum, Peilan, etc. There are more than ten kinds of spices. These spices are contained in herbal bags, sachets, pillows, dowry items and incense burners. They provide us with very valuable physical information for studying the customs of using incense in the Han Dynasty. [③] Judging from the spices unearthed from Tomb No. 1, the spices used by the nobles in the early Western Han Dynasty were all domestic herbs, which were relatively common and there were no precious perfumes. Because they are collected directly from plants, they are called natural flavors. These herbs can be worn after being dried and sewn into sachets. However, if burned, the smoke will not be very fragrant. The spices that can be burned, such as frankincense, agarwood, sandalwood, tulip, styrax, etc., are mostly tropical products and are not produced in the Yellow River Basin and Yangtze River Basin. Precious spices in later generations were mainly imported from the Western Regions and the South China Sea. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, after connecting the Western Regions and pacifying South Vietnam, the overland Silk Road was opened and maritime transportation in the south was opened up. It was only then that China gained more extensive contact with the world, and the spice trade was only put on the agenda. [④] With the increase in the variety of spices, people have begun to study the functions and characteristics of various spices, and use the blending of various spices to create unique aromas. As a result, the concept of "fragrance recipe" emerged, which refers to the combination of spices. A variety of spices are blended according to the fragrance recipe to form a "combined fragrance". The evolution from natural fragrances to synthetic fragrances is an important development in the way of using fragrance. The incense recipe in "Incense in Jianning Palace of the Han Dynasty" during the Eastern Han Dynasty shows the progress of this incense use in the Eastern Han Dynasty:

Four pounds of yellow ripe incense, two ounces of white aconite, five ounces of clove bark, and ageratum leaves. 4 liang, 4 liang of tongxiang, 4 liang of angelica, 1 liang of frankincense, 4 liang of sandalwood, 4 liang of raw knot incense, 5 liang of spikenard, 1 liang of grass incense, 2 liang of agarwood, 2 liang of styrax oil, 5 liang of jujube. Grind the two into fine powder, mix with honey, and store them for a month to make pills or bake them into cakes. [⑤]

2. Overview of makeup styles in the Han Dynasty

Due to the maturity of cosmetics production technology and the change in the concept of female beauty, makeup styles were greatly enriched in the Han Dynasty, which was the starting point in the history of ancient Chinese makeup. The plain makeup era of the pre-Qin Dynasty entered an important transition period into the makeup era of later generations. In terms of facial makeup, due to the introduction of red and blue flowers, the use of rouge has become increasingly popular. Women have changed from the Zhou Dynasty's plain makeup style, and various types of red makeup have become popular. In terms of eyebrow makeup, the monotonous slender eyebrow makeup of the Zhou Dynasty was swept away, and many eyebrow styles that were quite "majestic" and "feeling charming" were created. Coupled with the fact that flower necklaces and facial scars have become commonplace, they all show the unrestrained pursuit of beauty by women in the Han Dynasty. Moreover, from the Han Dynasty to the Wei, Jin, Sui and Tang Dynasties, men frequently applied makeup and powder, which not only showed the increasing popularity of makeup, but also showed people's tolerance for beauty during this period. But from the perspective of aesthetic style, makeup styles in the Han Dynasty were generally soft and elegant.

(1) Facial makeup of the Han Dynasty

Since the Han Dynasty, women no longer regard the plain makeup of the Zhou Dynasty as beautiful, but "red makeup" has become popular, which is not only Almost apply powder, but also apply vermilion, that is, apply rouge.

Women in the Han Dynasty had red cheeks. The thicker ones were bright and delicate, while the lighter ones were elegant and moving. Depending on the depth of the application, the size of the area, and the makeup style, various makeup names are produced. For example, "Lai Lai Makeup" brings out the beauty of tiredness and laziness. A thin application of vermilion powder, lightly painted eyebrows, and fluffy and curly hair on the temples give people a feeling of sleepiness and fatigue. According to legend, it started during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and was created by Zhao Hede, the concubine of Emperor Wu. . Han Lingxuan's "Zhao Feiyan's Biography": "Hede Xinmu, anointed with Jiuqu Agarwood fragrance. For curly hair, it is called a new bun; for thin eyebrows, it is called Yuanshandai; for Xiaozhu, it is called Wu Laizhuang."

Another example is "red pink makeup", as the name suggests, that is, rouge and red powder are applied to the cheeks. The second part of "Nineteen Ancient Poems" of the Han Dynasty writes: "E'e wears red makeup and has slender hands." This custom has been carried on through the generations and has endured for a long time.

(2) Eyebrow makeup in the Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty can be said to have inherited the customs of the pre-Qin countries and developed the styles of the Wei, Jin, Sui and Tang Dynasties, ushering in the first climax in the history of Chinese eyebrow makeup .

During the Han Dynasty, many emperors and literati emerged who devoted themselves to the art of eyebrow shaping. In the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was the leader. "Eryi Records" said that he: "ordered the palace people to sweep the eyebrows". In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Ming was the leader, and it was known in history as "people in the palace of Emperor Ming, who brushed their indigo and moth eyebrows." With the emperor's promotion, ordinary people naturally started to pay more attention to women's decoration.

The famous story of Zhang Chang's thrush happened during this period. According to the "Book of Han·Biography of Zhang Chang": "Chang is a sign of Beijing...and a woman's thrush. It is said in Chang'an that Zhang Jingzhao's eyebrows are beautiful." Anyone who had a rift with him told Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty a secret, and Emperor Xuan summoned him and questioned him. Zhang Chang He replied, "I heard that in the boudoir, the privacy of a couple is more than that of a thrush." ​​Emperor Xuan was very satisfied. Since then, this has become a long-lasting allusion of husband and wife's love. Zhang Yue, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, quoted this old classic in his poem "Le Shi Ci": "I pity myself for the beauty with double eyebrows in Beijing, but I will wait for the five horses to stay when I come south." Another great talent of the Han Dynasty, Sima Xiangru, was also an "eyebrow fanatic". He was the "leader of articles" in ancient Chinese prose in the Han Dynasty. There were many famous lines about eyebrows in his poems. It happened that the lover he met also happened to be A peerless beauty with natural beauty between her eyebrows. "Xijing Miscellaneous Notes" said: "Sima Xiangru's wife Zhuo Wenjun has eyebrows like distant mountains. People at that time imitated her and painted distant mountain eyebrows." (One book "Zhuo Wenjun is beautiful, and his eyebrows are like distant mountains"). This is the so-called beauty and talent, which complement each other. Later, Zhao Feiyan, the beloved concubine of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, asked her sister Zhao Hede to imitate Wenjun and "have thin eyebrows and call her Yuanshan Dai". It can be seen that the custom of eyebrow trimming was indeed popular in the Han Dynasty.

The eyebrow makeup that was popular among aristocratic women in the Han Dynasty, apart from the splayed eyebrows, mountain eyebrows and moth eyebrows mentioned above, long eyebrows were undoubtedly the most popular. Long eyebrows are a variation on moth eyebrows, and are characterized by their slimness and slenderness. The wooden figurines unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tomb have long eyebrows on their temples. In addition to long eyebrows, women in the Han Dynasty also had wide eyebrows (also known as "wide eyebrows" and "big eyebrows"). It is said that this custom first originated in Chang'an City and later spread throughout the country. Xie Cheng's "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" contains the saying: "If eyebrows are wide in the city, half of the forehead should be drawn in all directions", and even "young girls cannot draw eyebrows, they are messy and have wide ears". There are also such descriptions in literary works. For example, Sima Xiangru's "Ode to Shanglin": "Ruofu is a disciple of Concubine Mi Qingqin...beautifully decorated with carved ornaments...long eyebrows and coupled with Juan". In Wu Jun's "Replying Poems with Liu Yun", "the slender waist traces wide sleeves, and a long moth is painted on half of the forehead", which are all descriptions of long eyebrows. It can be seen that the magnificent Han culture is also magnificent in eyebrow makeup. This eyebrow style can be seen in the images of female musicians found in cultural relics from Han tombs in the suburbs of Guangzhou. What is quite distinctive is that the eyebrows of the female musicians on both sides are not as high as one side. The aforementioned eight-shaped eyebrows are further evolved on the basis of long eyebrows. They are named because the brows are raised and the tips of the eyebrows are lowered, resembling the character "eight". The wooden figurines unearthed from the Western Han Dynasty tomb in Yunmeng, Hubei Province are in this style.

In the Han Dynasty, a kind of green eyebrow was also popular, but it was quickly replaced by the "sorrow eyebrow" invented by Liang Ji's wife. The frown was born out of the "eight" eyebrows. The tips of the eyebrows are raised, the eyebrows are thin and winding, and the color is thick, which is very different from the natural eyebrow shape. Therefore, it is necessary to shave the eyebrows and draw double eyebrows. "The Book of the Later Han·Biography of Liang Ji" says: "(Ji's wife and grandson) have a beautiful life and are good at acting like monsters. They wear sad brows and make-up, fall into a bun, bend their waists, and smile with carious teeth, which is thought to be charming." (The "weeping make-up" here refers to A makeup style of wiping the eyes lightly with ointment, as if weeping, was popular in the Eastern Han Dynasty and was one of the few eye makeup styles in ancient my country.) This move had a great influence. Women frowned and cried... Kyoto was silent, and all the summers followed suit. "This is like being a demon." This also gave rise to a new word - "sorrow moth", which was often used to describe women who were worried. This state is called moth-locked worry.

As for the method of eyebrow makeup for women in the Han Dynasty, in addition to drawing, they also need to use tools to modify it. Liu Xi of the Han Dynasty wrote "Shi Ming·Shi Jewelry": "Dai means generation. You can remove the eyebrows and use this painting to replace them." That is to say, the ancients plucked their eyebrows first and then painted them on. A pair of horn tweezers, 17.2 centimeters long, was found in the Wuzi lacquer box in Mawangdui Han Tomb No. 1. The tweezers can be removed and attached at will, and the handles are finely crafted and engraved with geometric patterns. "Shi Ming Shi Jewelry" writes: "Tweezers are used to photograph and ingest hair." Volume 714 of "Taiping Yulan" quotes "Popular Wen": "Pulling and cutting beards and hair is called tweezers." It can be seen that tweezers are It is used to remove hair and beards. Of course, in addition to hair and beards, eyebrows also belong to this category. Volume 73 of "Lian Shi" by King Chutong of the Qing Dynasty quoted "Zheng Family Model": "Women are not allowed to use knives and tweezers to shave their faces." From the side, it shows that knives and tweezers are important tools for women to shave their faces. But in fact, ancient women did not always pluck their eyebrows first and then paint them. They only had to pluck them out when they painted some special-shaped eyebrows, which is actually the same as modern people. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Empress Mingde Ma of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty was dignified and beautiful. It is recorded in "Dongguan Han Ji": "She did not wear eyebrows, and only the left eyebrow corner had a small gap, which was filled like millet." It can be seen that there are also many women who advocate eyebrow shaping. Of natural beauty.

(3) Han Dynasty lip makeup

Dyeing red lips is another important step in facial makeup. Because the color of the lipstick has strong covering power, it can change the shape of the mouth. Therefore, as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties, Chinese society had the custom of advocating the beauty of women's lips. For example, in the Warring States Period, Chu and Song Dynasty Yu's "Ode to the Goddess": "The eyebrows are connected with the moon, and the red lips are like elixirs." To appreciate women. The color of her lips is like cinnabar, rosy and bright.

The style of lip-dotting for women in ancient China was generally considered beautiful as being petite and colorful. It is commonly known as "cherry mouth" and has been a custom since the Han Dynasty. When women apply powder, they often apply white makeup to their lips, and then use lipstick to reshape their lips. Those with thick lips can be thinned, and those with large mouths can be made smaller. For example, the shape of the dot lip on the wooden figurines unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha, Hunan is very much like an upside-down cherry.

(4) Facial decorations in Han Dynasty

Facial decorations, that is, decorations pasted or painted on the cheeks, are a very important category of women's makeup in ancient China. It originated in the pre-Qin Dynasty and gradually became a custom in the Han Dynasty.

Hua Dian

Hua Dian, also known as noodle flowers or flower seeds, are thin ornaments that can be pasted on the face. They are mostly made of colored glossy paper, mica sheets, insect wings, Fish bones, fish bladders, silk, gold foil, etc. are used as raw materials to make various shapes such as round, trefoil, rhombus, peach, copper coin, double fork, plum blossom, bird, bird feather spot, etc. Of course, there are also those painted directly on the face, which are colorful and exquisite. Huadain also generally refers to facial decorations, here it specifically refers to the decorations between the eyebrows and the forehead.

The custom of face decoration has existed in the Chu Dynasty. The painted female figurines unearthed from the Chu tomb of the Warring States Period in Changsha have three rows of trapezoidal dots on their faces. The painted female figurines unearthed from the Chu tomb in Xinyang have There are also dots on the eyelids of the wooden figurine, which is believed to be the origin of flower mother-of-pearl. In the Qin Dynasty, "Qin Shihuang was fond of immortals. He often ordered the palace people to wear fairy buns and paste colorful flower seeds, and the paintings were clouds, tigers and phoenixes flying up." [6] This shows that appliqués on mother-of-pearl have begun to become a common practice in the Qin Dynasty. The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system and was deeply influenced by Chu culture. Therefore, Huadian should also be inherited in the Han Dynasty.

Facial dimples

Facial dimples are also called makeup dimples. Dimples refer to the dimples on the cheeks, so dimples generally refer to a kind of decoration applied to the dimples on both sides by ancient women. The ancient name for facial expression is "的" (also spelled "旳"). Refers to the red dots that appear on women's faces.

It has been around since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and was mostly used in the palace. Earlier it was used as a sign of menstruation in women. In ancient times, there were many concubines in the emperor's palace. When a concubine was menstruating and could not accept the emperor's "royal blessing" and was inconvenient to talk about it, she would just click "" on her face, and the female historian would not list her name. Liu Xi of the Han Dynasty's "Shi Ming Shi Jewelry": "Injecting elixirs into the surface is called 旳. 旳, Zhuo Ye. This emperor's concubines of various princes should enter the imperial palace one by one. Those who have menstruation will not be restrained, and it will be difficult (difficult) ) said it by mouth, so he put this elixir on his face, and it burned for recognition. When the female historian saw it, she didn't write its name in the record. "That's what it said. But over time, the concubines and dancers saw that facial dots were helpful for beauty, so they broke the boundaries of menstruation and wore dots at any time. The original intention of dots was gradually replaced by beauty, and became facial makeup. A kind of dimple and spread to the people. Fan Ruan wrote in "Mi Chou Fu": "The dotted circles are shining, reflecting the two complements and looking at each other."

(5) Men's makeup in the Han Dynasty

Makeup has been more than just Women's patent, men also wear makeup, but it's not as complicated and complete as women's.

During the Han Dynasty, not only women were fans, but men were as well. "Book of Han·Biography of Liu Yue, King Hui of Guangchuan": "The painter in front of me looked at your house, and I looked at you with your clothes naked and powdered beside him." "Book of Han·Biography of Ren Xing" contains: "When Xiaohui was filial, all the ministers and ministers were crowned with honors. "The Book of the Later Han·Li Gu Biography" also contains: "During the reign of Emperor Shun, most of the officials were dismissed, and when they were in charge, more than a hundred people were dismissed." He was resentful and hoped for the purpose of Ji, so he wrote an article to falsely accuse and solidify his crime, saying: "...A funeral procession is taking place, passers-by are covering their eyes, only Gu is wearing beard and beard, scratching his head and posing, twisting his head and leaning back, walking calmly and calmly. , I have never felt so sad and haggard." Although this is a slanderous word. However, according to Nong Defu's "Wanli Yehuobian": "If you are a scholar, you will only have Li Gu from the Han Dynasty, who has a powdered face." It can be seen that it is true that Li Gu likes to apply powder. It can also be seen that men at that time did have the habit of applying powder. Although it was true that men applied powder in the Han Dynasty, it was either classified as a sycophant or slanderous, indicating that men applying powder has not been respected by ethics since ancient times.

(6) The custom of using cosmetics and fragrances in the Han Dynasty

The use of spices in the Han Dynasty covered many aspects of life, such as diet, health care, religion, antisepsis, etc., all of which were inseparable from the use of spices dependence. But cosmetic fragrances mainly come from the need to fragrant the inside and outside of the body.

Using fragrant flowers and herbs to fragrant the body, so that the body is lingering in the fragrance all day long, has been widely loved by people in the pre-Qin Dynasty. There are many such discussions in Chu Ci, such as: "Hu Jiangli and Pi Zhixi, Ren Qiulan thought of it as a pendant", "Made Zhihe as clothes, gathered hibiscus as clothes" ("Li Sao"); " Being led by Xili Xi to Nv Luo... being led by Shi Lanxi to Du Heng" ("Nine Songs: Mountain Ghost") and so on. Judging from the poems of Chu Ci, Chu people picked fresh fragrant flowers and herbs from the wild, woven them into garlands, flower chains, etc., and wore them directly on their bodies. This was often limited by seasons and scenes. Therefore, in most cases, people put the dried herbs in exquisite sachets and wear them on their bodies, so that the aroma will be retained longer. Six sachets were unearthed from Han Tomb No. 1 in Mawangdui. The female corpse Xin Zhui held one embroidered silk sachet in each hand. One "Xinqi Embroidery" silk sachet was unearthed from the north box, and the other three were placed in the east box. No. 65 bamboo basket.

It is not enough to rely on wearing a sachet to let your body emit a moving aroma. In the pre-Qin Dynasty, the ancients already knew how to put herbs into the bath water when heating it and cook it into a fragrant "fragrance soup" to cleanse and aromatize the body. "Dadaili" of the Han Dynasty says: "Bath in orchid soup at noon." That is, take a bath with orchid grass soup to remove dirt during the Dragon Boat Festival. Because the Dragon Boat Festival falls in midsummer, it is a season where skin diseases are common. The ancients believed that orchid (ie Peilan) soup can incense the body and eliminate diseases, and can eliminate unknown diseases. Therefore, the Dragon Boat Festival is also called the "Bath Orchid Festival", and Perrin also got another reputation as "Perfume Orchid". "Nine Songs·Yun Zhongjun" contains: "Bathing in the orchid soup, you can feel the fragrance, and you can wear beautiful clothes like flowers." "Records of the Years of Jingchu": "On May 5th, it is called the Orchid Bathing Festival." "Wuzazu" records that people in the Ming Dynasty took five-color grass and brushed it for bathing at noon because "orchid soup was not available." Later, I usually take a bath with fried pudding, mugwort and other herbs.

"Zhao Feiyan's Biography" contains: "Hou took a bath in the Five Yun and Seven Fragrance Decoctions, sat on a seat with Tongxiang and submerged water, and sat on the fire to seduce the gods with the Baiyun Fragrance; Jieyu bathed in the Cardamom Decoction, and Fu (applied) Luhua Baiying Powder." Here. The "Wuyun Qixiang Soup" and "Cardamom Soup" are more advanced fragrant soups specially used by the concubines.

In addition to bathing with fragrant soup, it is more important to incorporate spices into cosmetics and apply them directly on the body. Since ancient times, women’s cosmetics have always been fragrant. Facial grease and mouth balm are also called "balsam", shampoo is called "xiangze", makeup powder is called "fragrant powder", and the toiletry box containing mirror grates and rouge oil powder is also called The two largest round boxes in the Wuzi lacquer box in Mawangdui Han Tomb No. 1 are dedicated to placing spices. One box is wrapped with crimson silk, with pepper on the silk, and the other is filled with vanilla. plant-like. It can be seen that spices and cosmetics are inseparable.

For body fragrance, in addition to external use, it can also be taken internally. Ying Shao's "Han Gong" said: "The servant Diao Cun has bad breath when he is old, and the fragrance of chicken tongue comes out of his mouth." That is to say, the fragrance of chicken tongue is used to cover up the bad breath. This should be the earliest record of oral fragrant medicine in ancient China.

Makeup culture not only contains profound social, cultural and aesthetic connotations, but also reflects the development of science, technology, economy and trade in society at that time. Through the above analysis, we can know that in the Han Dynasty, the production of cosmetics has become mature. Not only are the varieties complete, but the raw materials come from a wide range of sources, including plants, animals, and minerals; both local raw materials and raw materials from exotic places. In terms of makeup styling, there has been a shift from the "pink white and black" style of plain makeup popular in the pre-Qin period to bright and elegant red makeup; in terms of eyebrow makeup, due to the advocacy of emperors and literati, the first peak in the history of Chinese eyebrow makeup appeared The use of flowers and noodles has also gradually matured; spices have transitioned from natural spices in the Western Han Dynasty to synthetic spices in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and have progressed from external use in the Pre-Qin Dynasty to internal use in the Han Dynasty; even tall men have joined the army of powders. It is also worth mentioning that the production of cosmetic utensils, judging from the two cosmetic boxes unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tomb No. 1, was already quite exquisite and complete in the early Western Han Dynasty. It can be said that the Han Dynasty was an important foreshadowing period in the history of Chinese cosmetics. Without the solid foundation of material, conceptual and formal beauty laid by the Han Dynasty, there would not have been the splendid splendor of the Wei, Jin and Tang Dynasties in the history of cosmetics that followed.