#yisan

Hi, thanks for the question!

Tieli/贴里 and Yesa/曳撒 (also known as Yisan) are different Ming dynasty men’s hanfu styles that look very similar. This is because tieli is actually a variant design of yesa. Torguqin wrote an informative article on yesa and tieli here, which I’ll summarize:

On Yesa (x):

Yesa is a distinctive hanfu design from the Ming dynasty. As a Sinicized version of the Mongolian jisün (banquet) robe, the function of this robe changed greatly as it changed hands to the Han. Yesa was worn by imperial eunuchs, servants, and street-running pages, and as martial and military parade regalia. The large pleated skirt in front greatly enhances the hip and thigh profile, and with the robe sometimes worn short enough to expose the entire boot, it exemplifies the masculine prowess of the wearer. Below - yesa in Ming painting (x):

The distinctive feature of yesa is the construction of the outfit itself – while looking from the front it consists of a cross-collared top sewn together to a pleated skirt, the back is a straight long robe. The skirt is not sewn shut to the back piece, but rather use two large outward-extending “flaps” or “ears” to cover the side slits, creating a unique side and back profile that allows unrestrained leg movement and access to the inner layer of clothing. Below - yesa pattern:

On Tieli (x):

Tieli is a variant design of yesa, but instead of its unique bottom design, it is a pleated skirt attached to the top. Its name comes from the Mongolian term “terlig”. Both yesa and tieli serve similar functions and offer similar freedom of movement, and hence were loved by commoners and elite alike. Moreover, tieli is often seen in paintings as the outer clothing of young boys and servants of pre-adolescent age. Below - 1) tieli in Ming paintings (x), 2) tieli pattern:

Here’s a handy slide that summarizes the differences between yesa and tieli (in Chinese), via:

So as you can see, the easiest way to tell yesa and tieli apart visually is by looking at the skirt. If there’s a large flat center panel in the front & back of the skirt, it’s yesa. If it’s evenly pleated all around, it’s tieli. For example, in the Ming painting below, the little boy in green is wearing tieli. Everyone else is wearing yesa (x):

Another clue is the presence of “waibai/外摆” - the “flaps” on the sides of the skirt that yesa (below right) has due to its construction, and tieli (below left) doesn’t have:

Finally, here’s a quick quiz - can you identify which of the below four outfits are yesa and which are tieli? (answers below):

Answers (top to bottom, left to right): 1) yesa, 2) tieli, 3) tieli, 4) yesa.

For more information on yesa and tieli, Newhanfu has an in-depth article here. There are also Wikipedia articles on yesa & tieli. And you can check out my tieli and yesa/yisan tags.

"When I think of the Crown Prince, sleep deludes me." (EP2 - Sung Deok Im)