Abnormally long finger-nails are likewise held to enhance the natural charms of lovely woman, and the use of cosmetics is freely indulged in. A fan is always carried, and frequently a pipe, conspicuous for a diminutive bowl and long slender stem.
As representing officialdom, the Mandarins, or Kwans, as they are called in their own country, are quite the most important body of men in the Celestial Empire. They are divided into nine classes, each of which is subdivided into two. A glance at the button on the hat is sufficient to determine the rank of the wearer.
The significance attached to this particular decoration is as follows:—
The last class of all is similarly represented by a gold button. The button employed on ceremonial occasions differs from that worn every day, in that it is round, whereas the latter is oblong.
Another distinctive feature of a Mandarin's dress is the pectoral—a small piece of material attached to the breast. In the case of civil dignitaries it is embroidered with birds, while in that of military authorities it displays quadrupeds.
A CHINESE ACTOR.
The official costume consists of a long, loose gown which opens up the centre and is gorgeously embroidered with dragons or winged serpents. The claws further testify to the rank of the wearer, those dragons possessing three or four being the exclusive privilege of members of the first four classes, who are also entitled to wear peacock's feathers at the back of their hats, and chains of coral, the red parasol being another of their prerogatives. Over the under-robe is worn an ample coat of plain silk extending below the knees. This has wide sleeves, which allow a view of tight under-sleeves pertaining to the embroidered robe, and drawn down to cover the hands, and shaped at the ends in the form of a horseshoe. About the waist is a deep embroidered band, that serves as pocket in case of need, while a square, embroidered collar rests on the shoulders and tapers up to vanishing point at the throat in front. The hair hangs in a tightly-plaited pigtail, lengthened by the addition of false tresses, and the characteristic hat boasts a brim of satin, velvet, or fur, shaped like a saucer, its red crown surmounted by the all-important button. The shoes are those which a man of position must always wear in public. Sabot-shaped, with thick soles, they are covered in silk, satin, or cotton, and there is no difference between the right and left foot. A coveted military distinction is a fox's tail arranged at the back of the hat. The most signal mark of Imperial favour, however, is permission to wear a yellow coat.
