As we all know, china was an era of very strict hierarchical concepts in ancient times, when people were divided into three, six, and nine grades, and there were specific regulations on what each person of the first class should do. For example, in ancient times, a very unpopular merchant, whose rank was lower than that of a peasant, had a prescribed degree of food and clothing. Even what color you should wear in your clothes and what patterns should be embroidered on them are all prescribed, and you can't do whatever you want if you have money.
Take yellow, for example, in ancient times, it was the exclusive domain of the emperor, and then the emperor's clothes could be yellow, symbolizing honor. The rest of the courtiers or the common people, who dare to wear yellow clothes, are all great disrespect, and the capital punishment is cheap. There is also a pattern on the clothes, and there must be no dragons, otherwise it is also taboo.
But readers who love to watch drama should find that in opera, there are many people wearing "dragon robes", which is represented by Bao Zheng. They were not emperors, nor were they relatives of the emperor, but ordinary ministers, so why did they dare to wear dragon robes? Aren't you afraid of death?
In fact, don't be too real, it is just an art form of opera, and in real history, they absolutely dare not wear it. But some people wearing "dragon robes" are in line with history, because it is not a "dragon robe" but a "python robe", and the emperor nodded and allowed them to wear it.
The earliest origin of the python robe was not in the Song Dynasty where Bao Zheng was located, but in the Ming Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, the costumes of the civil and military officials mainly included court clothes, sacrificial clothes, public clothes, regular clothes, and gift clothes. The python robe is a kind of clothing, mainly given to the cabinet ministers of the current dynasty, or eunuchs who are close to them.
This kind of clothing is the same as the emperor's dragon robe, but if you look closely, it is different from the emperor's dragon robe. One of the most different, when belonging to one of the "dragon" motifs. The dragons on the dragon robe are all five-clawed golden dragons, and the head is up, and there are nine in total, symbolizing the nine-five-year-old.
But the dragon on the python robe has only four claws, and the number is definitely less than nine. On other patterns, it is basically similar. For example, they all have "water feet" at the lower end, and there are surging waves on the water feet, and there are mountain and stone treasures on them, which are staggered and overlapped, implying that in addition to auspiciousness, there is also the meaning of eternal solidity of the country. In addition, in terms of color, the dragon robe is mainly yellow, while the python robe is mainly red and black.
In the Qing Dynasty after the Ming Dynasty, the state relaxed the restrictions on the wearing of python robes, which could be worn by officials and merchants who did not enter the stream. But there are rules on the color, the claws of the dragon, and the number, and it is not allowed to exceed the prescribed number, otherwise it is a capital crime.
Let's look back at the python robe worn by Bao Zheng in the opera, in fact, it is not in line with history, at that time, the python robe did not have a origin, where did Bao Zheng come from? In fact, letting Bao Zheng wear a python robe, on the one hand, is to highlight Bao Zheng's character, and that kind of black highlights Bao Zheng's majesty and obedience to law enforcement. Moreover, his wearing of a python robe can also show the status of Bao Zheng, and reflecting his personality also has a certain role. But opera is after all opera, and it must not be taken as real history!
The python robe is a highly decorative dress, which inherits the pursuit of beauty in Chinese generations, not only carrying a sense of solemnity, but also pinning on a beautiful artistic conception. This kind of clothing is placed on the bao zheng in our hearts, which naturally complements each other and can set off his character even more.