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Comparison Study on the Make-up Cultures between the Ching dynasty in China and the Edo Age in Japan based on their Aesthetic Consciousness

Hyunsoon An 1 고정민 1

1광주보건대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

China and Japan are geographically close and the two countries had shared the Chinese Character Culture and the thoughts of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism since the ancient age. They also actively exchanged culture in various areas. Some cultural exchanges had been caused by surrounding environment and culture had been introduced to other country in a natural way; while some cultural exchanges had been forcibly introduced through artificial process. It is believed that such cultural phenomenon must have had impact on the make-up cultures of the two countries and it was assumed that there must have been commons and differences in the make-up cultures of the two countries. This study explored the historical background of the Ching dynasty of China and the Edo Age in Japan, which are in the same time frame, and studied the aesthetic consciousness of the two countries at the time. Then the make-up style of ladies in the two countries had been studied to find out how their aesthetic consciousnesses had been expressed in the make-ups of the two countries. Then the commons and differences in make-up skills between the two countries had been identified. According to the study results, the main stream of aesthetics during the Ching dynasty in China can be classified into Confucianism aesthetics and Taoism aesthetics. On the other hand, the main stream of aesthetics during the Edo Age in Japan can be classified into “mitate(見立)”, “ikki(いき)” and “garumi(かるみ). The skin care in the make-up culture of Ching dynasty in China was based on “rouge (臙脂, yanzhi)” and “powder(粉, fen)”. The Ching ladies loved the make-up style using rouge. It had been same both in the high society and common people. The eyebrow care was delicate and curved so that the feminine beauty with elegant spirit could be emphasized. The lips had been expressed to be smaller and the ladies tried to express elegance and reliability, rather than frail and tender feminine image. The skin care in the make-up culture of Edo Age in Japan focused on even applying of white powder so that the face would look soft. The eyebrow make-up was a very important part of the make-up. The shapes of eyebrow had been advanced in various styles and there had been eyebrow make-up styles such as “crescent-shaped brow (三日月), “crane style brow (鶴眉) and “Tang style brow (唐眉). The lips had been applied of thick red color, imitating the make-up skill of the ladies in the entertainment business. The lips make-up skill expressing the lips in two colors had been quite popular. Among the make-up skills during the Edo Age in Japan, the “black teeth (齒黑)” can be said as the most unique make-up style of Edo Age.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.