• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.115-128
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• 2018

Tibetans who live in the Tibetan highlands, the Roof of the World, have their own unique lifestyle wherein they conform to its long history, natural environment, and their own form of clothing culture. In their costumes, the use of colors, patterns and designs express religious meaning and represent the hopes and heart of life, which respects nature. This study aims to analyze the colors used in Tibetan costumes and examine the meaning of these colors. In addition, this study intends to understand the specificity of Tibetan culture through a consideration of the symbolism of the colors of ethnic costumes. By examining the literature and conducting case studies, colors of Tibetan costumes were analyzed through the I.R.I HUE-TONE system. We analyzed 96 photographs of the costumes photographed during the Tibet ceremony costume, photographs seen at the Qinghai Tibet Culture Museum and photographs from the Internet museum. The results revealed the following: First, the most important element of the costumes is connected to the five colors of JangOsaek, which gives meaning to each color. Red, navy blue, yellow, white and green symbolize fire, the sky, earth, clouds or snow, and grasslands, respectively. Second, Tibetan costumes are characterized by bold color contrasts such as red and green, black and white, red and yellow, and yellow and purple to achieve an intense harmony of colors. Third, these fancy costumes express the unique aesthetics of the Tibetan people. The primary colors follow general emotions, but they can also include their own emotion.