Illustration of the First Degree of Mourning Zhancui; the "unhemmed" mourning garment, the most severe of the five grades of funeral attire

The five grades of mourning (Wulun) were essential to Confucian social order, dictating exactly what one should wear and for how long based on the closeness of the relationship to the deceased.

[Woodblock Illustration]

The image depicts a mourner dressed in the Zhancui garments, representing the peak of the mourning ritual Sāngfú; the system of funeral dress and ceremonial propriety Lǐyí; the classical rites and etiquette.

The figure in the illustration is shown wearing robes made of the coarsest hemp. The bottom of the garment is unhemmed original: 斬 zhǎn, meaning "to cut"; the fabric was hacked with a knife and left raw, symbolizing a grief so sudden and sharp that there was no time to sew a hem.

The mourner supports himself with a bamboo staff original: 竹杖 zhúzhàng; bamboo is used when mourning a father because its round shape symbolizes the heavens and its inner strength represents the father's support. A square-shaped staff made of paulownia wood is used when mourning a mother, symbolizing the earth. This highest level of mourning is typically observed for three years actually twenty-seven months for a father, or by a wife for her husband.