Exhibition shows Chinese have used cosmetics for centuries
Fabulous and fantastic cosmetics are not exclusive to our modern-day lifestyles. Dating back centuries, Chinese women had already started to apply foundation to their faces to even out their skin tone.
An exhibition showing powder puffs made during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) is running at the China National Silk Museum through June 24. Visitors can marvel at ancient cosmetics designs through the exhibits on view.
"Taiping Yulan," a massive encyclopedia compiled by officers of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), recorded that ancient people ground rice into powder which they then mixed with white lead, called ceruse, to form a foundation. The inventor of that earliest foundation is unknown to history.
Historians also had another question: What did ancient women use to apply the foundation to their faces. Years ago, archeologists found a silk-floss powder puff in the renowned Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) Mawangdui tombs in today's Hunan Province. This proved that powder puffs were in use at least 2,000 years ago.
A powder puff from the Qing Dynasty features images of butterflies and flowers.
The Qing Dynasty powder puffs resembled those in use in the 21st century – a soft round object made from fluffy fibers held together with a sewn strap.
The back of Qing Dynasty puffs were often embroidered with auspicious patterns, including peonies, butterflies, peach blossoms, chrysanthemums and plum blossoms. Some puffs were stitched with images of bats, the creature of which the pronunciation is similar to the character fu (福), which has the meaning of fortune.
During the Qing Dynasty, when a family's daughter was about to marry, it was customary for the family to provide a dowry. The more and better the dowry, the higher the status their daughter would have in her new family.
Dressing cases were commonly prepared by families for their daughters, often equipped with items such as foundation and powder puffs. The ones embroidered with bats and fu characters were believed to represent a higher standard of craftsmanship.
The Qing Dynasty powder puff resembled those in use in the 21st century.
If you go
Date: Through June 24 (closed on Mondays), 9am-5pm
Venue: China National Silk Museum
Address: 73-1 Yuhuangshan Rd
玉皇山路73-1号
