Dudou, the artistic underwear of medieval China

"Red Underwear", a painting by Liushi Zong  source

What do you think the young lady on the painting above is wearing? As the painting's title suggests it is an underwear. But what kind of? Actually it is a dudou. The garment with such unusually-sounding name has a long history. It was invented by the Chinese somewhen in the 17th century with the sole practical purpose to keep the chest and stomach area warm. It is just a square or rhomboidal piece of cloth with attached straps that were tied around the neck and at the back. The dudou often has a pocket where ginger, musk or other medicinal herbs believed to keep the belly warm were put. It was worn by children, women and men alike to prevent not only cold but, according to some sources, diarrhea as well.

Dudou, early 20th century. The National Museum of Taiwan History

Dudou, Qing dynasty. The National Museum of Taiwan History

This simple garment worn underneath robes and not seen practically by anybody was, however, artistically decorated with embroidery. The embroidery served not just as mere decoration, each figure or pattern had a special meaning. As traditionally these bellybands were made by women for themselves, their lovers, husbands or children the patterns' subject depended on who the dudou was intended for. Those for lovers obviously had love as their theme: romantic stories taken from operas, myths and folklore; those for young women and brides could contain figures of dragon, phoenix and fish as symbols of good luck, happiness and fertility; the patterns used for the bellybands of babies and children often had tiger as their main character who was believed to give protection against evil; dudous for older people could be embroidered with images of tortoise, a symbol of longevity. The embroidery themes were given beautiful poetic names like the "Fish Darting and Playing Between Lotus Leaves" or the "Butterfly Loving a Flower" or the "Phoenix Playing with a Peony".

Dudou, late Qing dynasty, satin, silver chain. Embroidery depicts "both husband and wife around the house" story. China National Silk Museum

Boy wearing a dudou, a sculpture in Qiantang. Photo source

Figurine of a prince wearing a dudou. 

Traditional dudous were mostly made of silk satin. The straps could be of the same fabric or cotton but those from rich families used gold or silver chains instead.

In recent years the dudou has made a come back in China, as a fashion item as well as an underwear. Nowadays there are different designs of dudou on the Chinese market that can be worn in the streets as a backless top combined with skirts or jeans or at home as a sexy lingerie.

A few more examples of traditional dudous

 "Lion Rolling an Embroidered Ball". Such patter was usually used for a baby boy's dudou

"White Rabbit and Fuwa". This embroidery theme is a symbol of life and fertility

"Record of a Journey to the West". People's faces here have no eyes, noses or mouths. It is characteristic of embroidery from Gaoping area.

"The Rabbit Jumping Into a Garden". This is a scene from a traditional opera. While chasing a white rabbit the main character, the first emperor of the Song Dynasty, enters a garden. The white rabbit runs up to a girl named Fu, young people meet and fall in love.

Another scene from a traditional opera which symbolizes a happy and harmonious love life

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