d20 Expeditious Retreat Press Tibetan Dress, Arms, and Armor.pdf

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Tibetan Dress,

Arms, and Armor

Tibet is situated in the midst of mountains and sky, southwest of arid Western China and in the stark rain

shadow of the Himalayas. In general, Tibet is arid, cold, and high altitude. There are agricultural societies

in the southern portion of Tibet at lower altitudes, while herders (some with light farming due to irriga-

tion) live in the higher altitudes. Their clothing must combat these environmental conditions while also

being constrained by the natural resources for making clothing and armor. The herders of high altitude

raise yaks, grow meager crops of barley thanks to irrigation, and harvest and trade salt from brine lakes.

However, there are groups of herders who can only herd, the land being so barren as to allow nothing

else. These people rely on trade to provide for their other needs. People of the low highlands (around

10,000 ft. in altitude) raise sheep and goats and participate in more agriculture, even though they are

considered “mountain people” by their trading partners on the plains of the Ganges.

The natural materials for Tibetans are wool from yaks and sheep. Such wool is spindled into yarn

and woven into clothing or pressed and beaten into felt. Ropes are made from yak hair, and yak leather is

renowned for its durability in boots, tools, and containers. Tweed is made from sheep’s wool, and clothes

the farmers, who are living in comparatively warmer conditions than their yak-herding cousins, and they

often use ox hide for their leather goods. In terms of military attire, leather from animals is always avail-

able, as is silver and other metals, used in the lamellar style of armoring. Fortunately, Tibet neighbors

many cultural groups and have a long history of trade. Indian and Persian inluences came from the south

and west while silk was introduced into Tibetan society through contact with the Chinese.

Now that you have an idea of the challenges Tibetans are faced by their environment and the avail-

able materials, I hope you enjoy World Building Library: Tibetan Dress, Arms, and Armor. Look for

other articles in the World Building Library covering different topics of Tibetan society and how to inte-

grate them into your game.

Sincerely,

Suzi Yee

Expeditious Retreat Press—December 7, 2005

The robes are often made of sheepskin with

an exterior cover, often cloth or silk. Farmers

occupying the warm, damp climates of Southern

Tibet often make their chubas out of tweed (a

woven woolen product). Herdsmen are subject

to bitter cold and wind in the higher altitudes

of northern Tibet. Their robes are often lined

with felt or fur with the smooth side of the fur

turned outward. Their sleeves are longer than

their ingertips so animal handlers do not have to

exposure their hands to extreme weather.

While hot at work, men only wear the left arm

of their chuba, exposing their chest and right arm.

When it is especially warm, they may remove both

arms from the chuba and tie the sleeves together

around their waist. During cold nights, the chuba

doubles as a blanket. People will wear both sleeves

when meeting a distinguished guest or worshipping

in temples as a sign of respect. Decorative chubas

have special materials on the collar and hem

(sleeves, front, and bottom), such as leopard pelts,

fox pelts, otter pelts, silk, corduroys, or colored

cloths. Wealthy people often make covers for their

robes using wool or satin and rim the robes with

the fur of otter, lynx or marten.

Tibetan Dress

Chuba: The staple of the Tibetan wardrobe is the

chuba, a robe or overcoat. The chuba is very long and

broad, although women tend to wear theirs closer to

their body. They are pulled over the head and secured

at the waist with a colorful belt. Belts are wrapped

around the waist twice and tied in the back, although

Tibetians in mourning tie their knot in the front.

Worn down to the knee, the extra length is tucked

and held in place by the belt. It appears longer on the

left than the right and is fastened (typically by tying

or buttons) under the right armpit. Although there

are no pockets in a chuba, the way it wraps around

the body and the cinching at the waist creates two

large pockets above the waist: one in front and one

in back. Tibetans place objects of daily use in their

chuba, such as wooden bowls, butter boxes, needle

boxes, lint and hemp (for lighting ires), pipe, snuff

boxes, knives, whips, small bags, leather containers,

or Buddhism boxes containing sacred text or icons.

There is even enough room within the top portion

of the chuba to carry around small children in the

cold winter days. They may also hang items from

their belts, especially at festivals and gatherings to

display their possessions.

hat is a colorful, heavily embroidered high hat

with a circular base and four stiff peaks at the top.

Summer herdsmen wear felt caps with red tassels.

Farmers wear stringed jinge at festivals, which is a

cap decorated with golden thread and four fur-lined

borders that hang like ears. They also wear golden

earrings on their right ear to symbolize fortune,

and the golden thread and earring sparkles in the

summer sun. Married women wear headpieces that

cover the top of their head, decorated with pearl,

coral, and other precious stones. Some elaborate

headdresses cover the top of the head and run

down the length of their backs, decorated with

coins, precious and semi-precious stones, metals,

and colorful cloth and embroidery.

Decoration does not end with hats. Tibetans

arrange hair with colored yarn, braiding, and pieces

of stone (semi-precious and mundane). Many

young herdsmen tie up their thick black hair with

red woolen yarn to create the “hero’s hairstyle,”

not unlike young Sikh men. Women from farming

regions braid their black hair with colorful silk

threads and coiled on the top of their heads. Female

herders like to wear their hair in countless thin and

long braids that are decorated with coral, shells,

turquoise and silver coins that jingle when they

move. During holidays, some Tibetan women

wash their hair and comb it into two sections. The

top section is covered with a black cloth while the

bottom portion is split into ive pigtails. The end of

the pigtails are decorated with objects like tiny bells,

sliced conch shells, coral, jade, and silver coins.

Hats: Hats and decorative head wear are common

throughout all parts of Tibet. Farmers wear caps

made of wool or felt, and herdsmen wear fur and

felt lined caps made from animal skins. Some

hats have more shape and height, while the array

of colorful brocades is endless. Headwear is

another arena to express personal preferences and

display wealth for men and women alike. Tassles,

embroidery, sewn coins, bead work, and pieces of

gold, silver, amber, coral, and stones all ind their

place in Tibetan headdresses. The golden lowered

Boots: There are many different styles of Tibetan

boot: sumba, jialou, and duozha to name a few.

Tibetan boots are hard soled with a soft upper

cover. The hard sole is comprised of many layers

of leather (cow, ox, yak) and stitched cloth. The top

of the shoe is made of leather, woolen cloth, velvet,

or similar materials. The tops can be as colorful and

embroidered as other Tibetan clothing. The toe cap

takes on many shapes: square, rounded, narrow,

and hooked (like elf shoes). Tibetan shoes tend to

come high on the leg, up to knee-high. Tibetans put

their shoes on from the back of the boot and lace

the boot shut with woolen belts. In cold weather,

Tibetans stuff their shoes with grass, cloth, wool,

and other materials to insulate their feet and legs.

Women’s Apparel: Although Tibetan women

wear similar clothing to men, there are styles

and articles distinctly for the ladies. Women wear

chubas and colored blouses with a shawl collar

that show at the neckline. They tend to wear their

chubas tighter than men, and women’s chubas are

sleeveless, except for winter chubas and chubas of

herding people, where is it always cold. Married

women wear an apron (pangden or bamdain) made

of wide or narrow strips of cloth often embroidered.

Aprons are tied around the waist with special

aprons worn at holidays and wedding ceremonies.

The chuba is often topped with a sleeveless best or

a shawl draped around her torso leaving her right

arm bare.

Color and Ornamentation: Tibetan Buddhism

strongly inluences the colors of their clothing

and the personal ornamentation they add to their

appearance. In Buddhist culture, white symbolizes

holiness, and Tibetans often wear white shirts or

hem their clothes with white fabric, regarding the

color white with purity and good fortune. Tibetan

people also use lots of colors, some of which bear

religious resonance: red, yellow, orange, blue, pink,

and dark green. For example, Guru Rinpoche wears

a red hat, while Master Tsongkhapa wears a yellow

hat. Colors worn may symbolize an afinity toward

certain Buddhas. Beads, ga’u (amulet), and keu

(broach worn on chest) are also related to Buddhism,

bringing their wearer safety and auspicious tidings.

Both men and women wear jewelry in Tibetan

society, as well as inely crafted utility items

hanging from their belts. Tibetan silver craft is

renown, utilized in earrings, bracelets, necklaces,

and rings. Along with silver, they use yak bones,

jade, turquoise, conch shell, amber, agate, cat’s

eye, dzi, coral (red and yellow), pearl, ivory, and

other ornamentation, applied through inlaying or

wiring (using them like beads). Men’s rings (often

saddle shaped) are worn on the middle and fourth

inger while stoned rings are worn on the thumb,

and wealthy men often wear gold or silver earrings

in their left lobe. Men also display their inely

ornamented possessions, such as gilded boxes,

horn snuff bottles inlaid with silver and gems,

pipes with metal bowls and stone mouth pieces,

tobacco pouches (leather inlaid with silver, bronze,

or gems). Popular among men and women are

emblems or charms commonly worn on the chest,

believed to protect for harm or bring good luck.

Such charms are square or circular, rooted with

religious signiicance.

Clerical Garb: There is a separate style of clothing

for Tibetan Buddhist priests, monks, and nuns.

The most common colors are yellow, orange,

red, or maroon. Their clothing is often homespun

patchwork cloth as a symbolic renunciation of

worldly possessions, opposed to one solid piece of

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