16.10.14

Dudou, the artistic underwear of medieval China

"Red underwear" painting
"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
Dudou, early 20th century. The National Museum of Taiwan History

Dudou, Qing dynasty

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".

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

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

Figurine of a prince wearing a dudou
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.

Model wearing dudou

Guy wearing dudou

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

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


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

Chinese embroidery close up
"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.

Dudou embroidered with a scene from traditional Chinese opera
"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.

Embroidered dudou depicting a scene from traditional Chinese opera
Another scene from a traditional opera which symbolizes a happy and harmonious love life


Related posts
Qipao, the evergreen classic
Traditional headdresses of the Miao women of China


28 comments:

  1. I have never heard of dudous, aren't the colours and embroidery exquisite? I was also thinking that they would be wearable as outerwear now (Vix makes little tops out of scarves which look very similar). And how interesting that they are being marketed for men too, they look so overtly feminine to me. Another fascinating post, Olga! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Curtise is right, I make little tops like that now! I love them. The embroidery is exquisite. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Never heard of this type of underwear. Wow, such beautiful embroidery! Thank you, Olga -- you always surprise me with your posts about fashion. Have a wonderful week.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Olga, do you remember they were very fashionable in early 2000s? I had no idea they have such deep roots in Chinese culture thought! Very beautiful, intricate details. Thank you for the discovery!! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. When my daughter was a baby, my in-laws (who are from Taiwan, originally both from China) gave her something looking like a wide quilted belt to keep baby's stomach warm - yes, they have a thing about that in Chinese culture. Are you familiar with it in Nepal?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, there is no any special garment for keeping stomach warm in Nepal. But here they smear babies with mustard seeds oil to warm them. Even adults from poorer families use this oil in winter.

      Delete
  6. I'd never heard of these! Could have used something like it when I was attending school on the windiest, foggiest hilltop in San Francisco, though. :D

    The hours and hours that must have gone into each garment stun me now. We wear such comparatively simple things these days.

    ReplyDelete
  7. How wonderful, thank you so much for sharing
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    ReplyDelete
  8. So lovely and fascinating too! I will look at halter tops in a new way now. I suppose these embroidered messages were the early printed tshirts! Although for private use:-) xo JJ

    ReplyDelete
  9. very interesting! I once bought this top in a China shop (when I was about 15, I'm 30 now so that was 15 years ago) back when they used to sell Chinese clothing in China shops and not Western ones...and the owner said something about how I should wore it only for my boyfriend (who was with me the time when I bought it) and he smiled...I only now get why he said it...because you know, it was the nineties 'the time of the cropped tops', so I wore it as a cropped top. I didn't know what it was supposed to mean, but now I get that remark:).

    ReplyDelete
  10. Comfortable lingerie collection! Browse your favorite colors and styles, from racy mesh teddies to romantic lace babydoll lingerie.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Their is a various collection of sexy BRA, PENTY and LINGRIES SET buy sexy lingeries online India @Adultscare Call/Whats-App - 9872164966. Place Your Order Now!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Very informative and wonderful blog post. Thanks for sharing. For online discount codes and coupons please visit Clovia Lingerie Coupons

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hey there, You've performed a great job. I will definitely digg it and individually recommend to my friends. I am sure they'll be benefited from this site. black bodysuit costume

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you for sharing this useful information and keep writing this type post. We offers a best place to Buy clitoral vibrators online at affordable price. There are vibrators that are only intended for the clitoris and others that consolidate clitoral and vaginal incitement. There are even vibrators focused on couples that have two sections — one that is embedded into the vagina, while the other is set over the clitoris.

    we provide a best platform to Buy clitoral stimulators online at cheap rate. In the event that you need outer incitement to get off, attempt these best sex positions for ladies who like clitoral incitement—as far as you might be concerned, it may very well make them the best sex positions for climax, as well.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Nice blog thank you for sharing such information.buy ladies undergarments.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nice blog thank you for sharing such information.buy ladies undergarments.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks for your post. All best ladies undergarments here. buy ladies undergarments.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks for your post. All best ladies undergarments here. buy ladies undergarments.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks for this informative post. 24ent a Beauty App for enjoying and sharing beauty related posts online.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Nice post. Thanks for sharing with us and please keep posting.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great post. Its really amazing blog. I am learning so many new things. Thanks for sharing it with us. Please provide more blog posts on how to use and get discount by using Jockey Flat 40% Off Sale

    ReplyDelete
  22. If your AC is smelly, it is better to get an AC duct cleaning done.
    We Provide water treatment services in dubai , Water Filtration Services , and Ac fixing Services in Dubai.

    ReplyDelete
  23. This design is wicked! You most certainly know how to keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost...HaHa!) Great job. I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!video porno amatoriale

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is my first visit to your blog and I am quite impressed with your writing skills and the information that you have shared. I found here many offers and deal on buy sexy lingerie's in India . Keep posting daily latest and stylish womoen undergarments, bra, panty deal.

    Thanks...

    ReplyDelete