Modern Hanêka: Paper dolls enriched with color

The Modern Hanêka

Absorbing the essence of the traditional craft, Su puts brand new elements into her modern Hanêka. She adds facial features, arms, more accessories and decorations to the paper dolls, and dresses them with more colorful clothes using her exquisite skills and modern aesthetic consciousness. Tassels of pouches, earrings, silver necklace, fur hats, patterns on robes, waistcoat embroideries… all the typical items of Daur clothing come to life beneath her fingers.

Before the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Daur people mainly used skins to make their robes, boots, hats and trousers. Men, however, had more choices in hats in different seasons, including fur ones for winter, felt ones for spring and autumn and straw ones for summer. With increased connections with the Manchu and the introduction of cloth in the later half of the 16th century, they gradually changed their costume materials and styles. Matched with waistbands, men’s robes have upright collars, flat sleeves, wide hems and two slits on both sides.

Similar to men’s robes, women’s are colorfully trimmed and have trumpet sleeves without slits matched with long or short waistcoats.

In terms of accessories, men usually wear jade pulls, pouches, steel flints and knives, while women have pouches, handkerchiefs, jewelry and sewing kits.

Apart from Daur culture, the connotation of Hanêka is enriched by Su Mei. People from other cultural backgrounds also have their own Hanêka images.