Tang Dynasty Banpi

     To begin my blog, I thought I'd document my most recent project It ran quite quickly- it only took 3 or 4 days to pull together, from research and patterning to sewing on the closures- and I was pleasantly surprised by how closely the finished product resembled the originals. 

    The item I set out to reproduce is a Banpi, a short-sleeved (often erroneously identified as sleeveless) vest, worn in Tang China and transmitted to Japan during the Nara period as the Hanpi, where it remained in common use until modernity (while, obviously, still undergoing development, like everything else). The Banpi is worn as an intermediate layer between the innermost skin layer (typically of white ramie cloth) and the outermost garment, the round collar robe, although intermediate round collar robes could also be worn in really cold weather under the banpi (something important to remember is that the capital Chang'an was in the northwest, and winters could be bitterly cold. Fur lined garments, from statuary and accounts (see Schafer's Golden Peaches of Samarkand) seem to have been popular, and extant hood garments also survive, and can be seen in the tomb murals of Prince Zhanghuai, dated to approximately 683-4 CE). In less extreme conditions, the Banpi would suffice, and probably was absent most of the year in the south. I, personally, can't really imagine wearing one along with everything else in an Australian summer, and silk gauze garments that would be far more appropriate also survive. 

    Extant examples of the Banpi often originate outside of central China. Many have been found with a provenance in Tarim and Turfan, and probably entered the market criminally, as tomb robbing is extremely prevalent in Xinjiang Province and elsewhere in Central Asia. Some have also been preserved in the Shoso-in Repository in Nara, Japan, but to my eye these have slight differences in the cut, like the other garments of Shoso-in, and were local products, possibly made using Chinese or Korean pattern woven silk but definitely with distinct cuts. The fact that so many have been found in Xinjiang probably suggests that sinicisation of local's dress occurred during the Tang, although this could also be explained by the presence of Tang garrisons in the region. Finally, one was found during the Murong Zhi tomb excavations, which occured from 2019-2022, alongside an outer round collar robe of purple silk damask woven with paired pheonixes in roundels and trimmed with a bright yellow floral silk roundel on the collar and cuffs, several trouser layers including a pair of open-crotch trousers and silk damask and brocade hose, and a cross-collar ramie skin layer robe (interestingly, completely different from the typical round collar interpretation, but also attested to by the Prince Zhanghuai murals). 

   

     Many Xinjiang-origin Banpi are sold on the private market as "Sogdian silk shirts", despite this kind of garment being totally unattested to in Sogdian art or archaeological finds. This is probably to impart a Silk Road cachet to the sale, in an attempt to bump up the sales price, and also because animal roundels are associated with the Sogdians in popular imagination (despite being used and worn by basically every other cultural group in the region too). I decided to reproduce one based on this original sold by Sotheby's to a private buyer. I liked the shape and the approach to the sleeves, and the colour scheme was fairly close to the materials I had saved for the project in my stash.

    My cloth was 30cm wide (a deconstructed vintage obi featuring a pattern of roundels seen in Shoso-in and Astana Cemetery), so I had to take that into account as a limitation in the patterning, and the side extension pieces made it possible to cut it in two halves, with centre front cross collar extensions. Out of 4 metres, I had just enough to make the bodice. The skirt was from a remnant of plain weave navy silk, and the collar trim and ribbon closures were from another Shoso-in patterned obi, in brown and blue with white, yellow and green accents. I used a machine to sew the seams, as the main fabric was really, extraordinarily thick and tough to pierce. I broke two needles in the process. This worked well for the silhouette however, as depictions of the Hanpi often feature a very strong shoulder, visible through the outer robe.

    After sewing the bodice, I cut out the skirt, pinned it in place to check the measurements and proportions, and then went around the front openings and hem on the machine. I pleated the centre back with an inverted box pleat (sometimes seen on originals, probably to allow for movement). I had to wait until the collar piece had been attached to sew on the skirt, however, as I wanted the trim to disappear into the skirt for a seamless look. The images below show the process for that:

1. Pinning the band of trim into place, wrong side visible, before machine sewing.

2. Folding and ironing the trim round, turning the edge under and pressing, and whipstitching it into place with some silk twist I had lying around.

3. The effect of the collar band. I think it looks really pleasing.

4. Halfway through the process. One side turned down, the other waiting to be sewn into place. Also, gives a good impression of the front of the garment.

 

 

 

I didn't capture the process of sewing the skirt on, but I can promise you it was very boring, and consisted entirely of straight seams. Then there was just the task of making up and attaching the ribbon closures at the waist, and the garment was complete. I'd sewn the sleeve pieces with the selvedge facing out, and as it was barely visible I elected to just leave it as it was. Below are some images of the final product, accompanied by sword and sword belt.