Not long after China’s popularity of umbrellas made with a combination from silk and feathers, a wood and paper material were discovered to provide a higher range of appearance possibilities. The new material allowed for umbrellas to be designed for decorative purposes, while being lightweight. Within various Asian countries, these gained popularity quickly, particularly in Thailand, Laos, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Japan.
Not only were umbrellas now made for appearances, they still worked for protecting us from the sun, while limiting rain exposure to an extent from the paper canopy oil coating being somewhat water repellant. The paper umbrella was, for a long period, considered to be a symbol of power, wealth, and religion. At their peak popularity in China, paper umbrellas could be recognized by the colors and designs used. For example, the wealthy and noble carried blue umbrellas, while royalty used red or yellow colors.
There are currently some superstitious and traditional importance behind umbrella’s throughout Japanese and Chinese societies. When getting married, the bride is presented with an umbrella from the matron of honor, this is an act that symbolizes her blessing, wishing for lots of children while protecting from evil. Meanwhile, white is used for funerals, purple is a symbol of longevity of elders, and 16-year-old boys are given an umbrella to signify “rite of passage” as part of an important ceremony.
Additionally, paper umbrellas had a major impact on trends around the world because of their beauty, not only Asian regions. The canopy designs and elegant materials would commonly highlight animals, nature, flowers, dragons, or landscapes, rapidly reaching Europe through trade routes as the dark age’s era ended, and entered into the renaissance era. After this, French and Italian nobility began embracing these new trends due to the beauty of Chinese style umbrellas. This resulted in manufacturing of parasols and umbrellas throughout Europe, and eventually the entire world.
Today, the history of paper umbrellas reflects one of the most known traditional Chinese exports, and can easily be found for sell by merchants throughout China, mainly selling to tourists while showcasing traditional craftsmanship. However, it’s typically believed the best quality and most famous of the Chinese style paper umbrellas originated from the Ancient Chinese capital, Hangzhou. This area is known around the globe, and has an amazing natural scenery from a region that’s prospered for over 1,000 years.