ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the ways in which Khubilai shaped his identity as a world-ruler through dress and ceremony, and how this impacted the ways in which he was represented. It identifies changes in the Yuan dynasty of trends that began in the early Mongol period, such as mass robing, the hunt as a key ceremonial event, and the production of gold-woven luxury textiles. The form and design of Mongol court dress was established during the reign of Khubilai Khan, although it would not be officially codified until after his death. Excavated and pictorial evidence shows a basic silhouette of men’s robes at the Yuan court which did not differ substantially from pre-Yuan male Mongol dress. In addition to the fact that the Mongol court had a system distinct from that of the Chinese for understanding the meaning conveyed by costume, dress at the Mongol court was defined in written sources by Chinese standards from an early period.
