Blouse Item Number: Edz933 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Black glazed cotton blouse with short standing collar, side slits and side opening with frog closures and a metal snap fastener. The sleeves are one piece with the body. The bottom hem curves up at the sides. There is a pocket on the right inner flap. The inside is unlined.
History Of Use
Worn as upper garment. Hakka women were known for their ability to do heavy labouring work outdoors. Their clothing in general was plain, decorated only with the hand-woven bands worn on their aprons, head cloths, and hats. After the mid-twentieth century the New Territories of Hong Kong began to undergo fundamental changes. The people who had been settled there before 1898, when the British colonizers claimed the area, began to give up rice agriculture and coastal fishing, turning instead to wage labour and increased employment overseas. By the end of the century, educational opportunities leading to the possibility of white-collar work also increased, together with western influences. These changes meant that objects and clothing once useful and appropriate were no longer needed and generally were discarded. Some were saved by their owners, who sometimes were willing to donate them to museums, sharing, also, their knowledge of how they were made and used. By the late 1960s, women were giving up traditional Chinese-style clothing in favour of western-influenced blouses and pants.
Narrative
Hakka people are one of the two original land-dwelling groups that settled the area that became the New Territories of Hong Kong. Their spoken language, and some customs, differed from those of the other original group, the Cantonese or Punti. The Cantonese arrived first and settled on the best rice-growing lands, while the Hakka began to arrive after the late 17th century and settled the more hilly lands.
Cultural Context
worn by women during summer
Item History
- Made in Sai Kung, Hong Kong, China before 1976
- Collected during 1976
- Owned by Elizabeth L. Johnson before September 2, 1976
- Received from Elizabeth L. Johnson (Donor) on September 2, 1976
What
- Name
- Blouse
- Identification Number
- Edz933
- Type of Item
- blouse
- Material
- synthetic fibre, cotton fibre and metal
- Manufacturing Technique
- machine woven, machine stitched and cut
- Overall
- height 132.0 cm, width 69.0 cm
Who
- Culture
- Chinese: Hakka
- Previous Owner
- Elizabeth L. Johnson
- Received from
- Elizabeth L. Johnson (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Sai Kung, Hong Kong, China
When
- Creation Date
- before 1976
- Collection Date
- during 1976
- Ownership Date
- before September 2, 1976
- Acquisition Date
- on September 2, 1976
Other
- Item Classes
- textiles
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 0328/0033 a