Classical beauties have soft hands, frozen skin, wandering neck and teeth like rhinoceros. A cicada's head is a moth with a smart smile and beautiful eyes. Chivalrous and soft-hearted, the appearance of closing the moon and feeling ashamed of flowers, the ability to sink fish and fall geese. As pure as ice and as pure as jade.
The standard of ancient beauty in China is based on the aesthetic concept of the Chinese nation and characterized by the physiological characteristics of classical women in China. This is because women in China are relatively petite, and their external physiological characteristics are not as prominent as those in the West. They are black and straight, their facial contours are mild and harmonious, their eyes are black or brown, their skin is delicate and yellowish, and their overall curves are soft and symmetrical. The aesthetic concept of China's ancient female images has been described in the works of scholars in past dynasties. Qu Yuan's "Songs of the South" vividly describes the face of beauty from the aesthetic point of view. In Zhao Da, there are "Emei Manzhi" and "tolerance, beauty and elegance". Descriptions of "beautiful waist and narrow neck" and "meaty and bony".
Song Yu wrote in "The Loser": "The eyebrows are like jade feathers, the muscles are like snow, the waist is like a bundle, and the teeth are like shells."
He wrote in "Goddess Fu": the face is rich, the buds are moist, and the eyes are exquisite and beautiful. Eyebrows are connected with moths, and lips are like Dan.
Cao Zhi wrote in Luo Shen Fu: Its shape is also beautiful, graceful as Youlong, glorious as autumn chrysanthemum and spring pine in Hua Mao. As if a light cloud covered the moon; Fluttering like a snow. From a distance, if the sun rises in the morning glow, it will be forced to observe, and if it burns, it will emit green waves. Then, it describes the beauty of Luo Shen's figure and appearance in a "close-up" way: _ slim fit; If the shoulders are cut, the waist is like a vegetable; The neck is stretched to look good and the quality is exposed; Fang Ze does not add, lead is rich; Clouds, eyebrows and hearts are one; Red lips are bright outside and white teeth are fresh inside; Bright eyes and good hope pave the way for strength; The ring is free and easy, and the device is quiet and leisurely; Tender as water, charming language.
Japanese scholar Taji Wasteland summed up the main conditions of beauty in China ancient people's minds on the basis of ancient books such as The Book of Songs, Songs of the South, Warring States Policy, Liezi, Huainanzi and Selected Works. Young, slim, plump, with shaved shoulders, fair and delicate skin, thick eyebrows and bright moon, long ears drooping, rhinoplasty, red lips, Vert-like teeth, thick black hair, etc.
Aesthetic concept of beauty
The content of China people's aesthetic concept of beauty is different from generation to generation.
The images of beautiful women in the Tang Dynasty, except Wanli Wen Ya, all emphasized fullness and bodybuilding. After the Song Dynasty, the masculine beauty in the prosperous Tang Dynasty gave way to the feminine beauty in the Song Dynasty. Open-minded mind is replaced by sad and angry heart; The rich beauty of plump figure and elegant appearance gives way to exquisite beauty. The morbid beauty of women is becoming a model of female beauty. In The West Chamber, Cui Yingying is "pale pear face, light waist", "jade skirt embroidered with golden lotus, red sleeve knotted with jade bamboo shoots" and "waist is soft and graceful, like weeping willows before the evening breeze." Since the Ming Dynasty, people began to pay attention to the complete beauty of women's bodies. Ye Xiaoluan, a talented woman in Ming Dynasty, wrote "Gorgeous Body and Julian", which chanted about women's hair, waist, feet and whole body respectively. Ye Xiaoluan's mother, Shen Yixiu, wrote Julian, which not only praised women's eyebrows, eyes, lips and hands, but also made women's physical beauty more complete. The beauty of women's hair, waist and feet recited by Ye Xiaoluan is the most important part for the literati to appreciate the beauty of women's body during the foot-binding period in Ming Dynasty. If the head, waist and feet are beautiful, the overall image of women must be beautiful. Black long hair, soft and slender waist, slender and narrow feet constitute the standard thin beauty of the Ming Dynasty. Ye Xiaoluan paid special attention to the beauty of women's whole body image: Gai fell into the pool and was picturesque. Step to the curtain, spring surprises flowers. Therefore, beautiful colors are delicious and cannot be decorated with lead; You can't put on makeup when you are sad. Therefore, I feel dizzy, smile, plum blossoms float out, and my hair is gorgeous.
Beautiful woman, the whole body has the overall beauty, her beauty can not be dressed up by powder and lead, but a kind of "natural carving" natural beauty; Beautiful posture, flowery cheeks and gentle smile constitute the beauty of the whole, just as the beauty of plum blossom is the beauty of five petals; More importantly, the beauty of a woman comes from excellent internal quality and cultivation, and from inner beauty.
As a woman, Ye Xiaoluan, with outstanding appearance and talent, made great progress in her concept of female beauty compared with the literati at that time. She does not look at female beauty from the perspective of watching and playing with women, but regards female beauty as a perfect image of objective and harmonious overall beauty, in which natural beauty is consistent with inner beauty. This is commendable.
Yue Rong Bian (also known as Yuan Yang Pu) was written by Wei Yong in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. It is a rare and good article about female beauty. It is divided into thirteen parts: following fate, starting from the Yuan Dynasty, choosing servants, offering elegantly, Bo Gu, being realistic, meeting the times, loving, borrowing money, realizing seclusion and being broad-minded.
This paper discusses the choice of beauty, beautiful living environment, indoor furnishings, indoor paintings and books of educated women, and beautiful decoration and makeup. In particular, the description of various modes of beauty is incisive. Wei Yong believes that there is no absolute and rigid standard for women's beauty and ugliness, which is people's subjective feeling. He said: "Generally speaking, women are ugly, but people please them and they are willing to accept it, and everyone enjoys the land." The beauty and ugliness of women lies only in men's subjective hobbies. If someone likes her, her looks will become beautiful in the eyes of those who like her, and everyone will follow suit and say that this woman is outstanding. The so-called "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".
Based on this understanding of the relativity of the aesthetic standards of classical female beauty, the author puts forward that choosing beautiful women (wives and concubines) "should be happy and never tired." And don't be demanding, don't find fault with women. Advocate that women's choices should follow fate, the most beautiful women are not easy to meet, and don't pursue too much. "Heaven and earth clear Shu Qi, high curative value, extraction for boudoir. People who meet, if in previous lives, if in dreams, can't be separated from each other. However, this is not a strange fate. " Without "strange fate", it is difficult to meet a stunning beauty, so you can't pursue her harshly. When you meet similar women, as long as there is fate, they are all good wives and concubines. "If you don't have talent, you will be virtuous. If you have a great virtue, you will abandon the short and take the long. You know that if you don't buy a bone to be a horse, Tianlong is not as good as a painter!" Put forward the principle of choosing wives and concubines, and advocate seeing the advantages of women, not the disadvantages. This is a very insightful point of view and a kind of respect for women. Almost, even a little ugly, as long as she thinks she is beautiful, she is a beauty. This is Wei Yong's aesthetic view.
Yue Rong Bian vividly describes women's feelings, attitudes, tastes and spirits, which can be called the concentrated representative of the aesthetic taste of female beauty of feudal literati. He said: "Beauty is solemn, sacred, interesting, affectionate and thoughtful." Their "state" is rich and colorful:
Lip sandalwood baking day, charming body facing the wind, happy state; Starry eyes _, arch eyebrows dizzy, angry; Pear blossoms bring rain, cicadas show autumn skills and cry; The clouds are scattered, the chest snow is horizontal and comfortable, and the state of deep sleep; Needle down, embroidered screen inclined, lazy; Long eyebrows turn green, thin eyebrows turn red, and the state of illness.
Characteristics of China's Classical Beauty
Summarizing the concept of female beauty of literati in Ming and Qing Dynasties, there are roughly the following points:
First, age. Youth is beautiful, and youth is probably the most beautiful: some people argue that different ages have their own advantages.
Second, the appearance. In ancient China, beauty was the most important thing. The hair is black and shiny, very beautiful;
The eyebrows are slender and curved for beauty; Beautiful eyes, with a curved smile; Beautiful mouth; Teeth are neat and white, shaped like flat shells. The face is beautiful in the shape of a goose egg; White and tender skin is beautiful. The so-called regular facial features, thin eyebrows, red lips and white teeth.
Third, posture. From the pre-Qin Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, beauties were generally tall, and the so-called beauty was beauty. From the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, most beauties were of moderate figure and material, and "moderate shape and fit" and "neither fat nor thin, and appropriate length" were the most ideal figures. The waist is beautiful with tenderness, the so-called "willow waist"; The beauty of hands is slender and delicate; Small enough to be beautiful. The whole posture, slim and plump, light and graceful, beautiful. In the ancient standards of female beauty in China, the curvaceous beauty of the body and the contrast of various parts of the body were generally ignored, while the graceful posture was regarded as the beauty.
Fourth, modality. Ancient scholars and gifted scholars attached great importance to the beauty of women's posture. Li Yu's so-called "coquetry" is also called "charm", which is a kind of "charm" that is difficult to express in words, such as "clever smile" and "a wink when leaving" in Mei Shu. Wei Yong said that the realm of beauty, emotion, interest, spirit, soul and so on. This is a spiritual realm pursued by ancient literati in China.
Fifth, modification. Ancient literati generally advocated moderate modification. Modification should be coordinated with women's physical appearance; We should adapt ourselves to our family and economic conditions. This is still of practical significance today.
Six, the perfect unity of virtue, color, talent and art Some literati, especially those in the Tang Dynasty, pursue the beauty of women's talents and the perfect unity of virtue, color, talent and art. Li Yu also specifically discussed the relationship between virtue, color and talent and advocated that women should be versatile and develop in an all-round way. Wu Zhensheng, a Qing Dynasty man, advocated a unified standard of female beauty, namely "gorgeous, talented, quiet and virtuous".