Title

The Gold Phoenix on Ritual Court Headdresses in the Qing Dynasty and Related Issues

Author

Chen Hui-hsia

Genre

Article

Pages

429-483

DOI

10.6503/THJCS.202309_53(3).0002

Download

PDF

Language

Chinese

Key words

Huangchao liqi tushi皇朝禮器圖式 (Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Imperial Qing Dynasty), ritual court headdresses, gold phoenixes, filigree, phoenix hairpins, phoenix crowns

Abstract

The Qing (1644-1911) ritual court headdresses of empresses and concubines were decorated exclusively with figures of gold phoenixes, and this style of decoration was different from that used in China since the Song dynasty (960-1279), which featured dragons, phoenixes, and also flora. This article focuses on the development of Qing female ritual court headdresses and places them in the context of Chinese ritual headdress history, thereby demonstrating the cultural aspirations of the founders of the Qing dynasty.

This paper addresses four major issues. Firstly, the standard technical features of the gold phoenixes on court hats are summarized, as filigree phoenix-making techniques reached their maturity in the early 18th century. Secondly, the paper examines the process of integrating the phoenix headdress, which originated from the Ming Central Plains tradition, into Manchu culture. Thirdly, it explores the evolution of the court ritual headdresses worn by empresses and concubines: The prototype emerged in the later part of the Shunzhi 順治 era (1644-1661); but a fixed model was not established by the Qianlong 乾隆 Emperor until 1742, after much revision in the earlier part of his reign concerning regulations about clothing and headdresses. Fourth, from the perspective of material culture, the paper investigates the cultural significance of the filigree techniques for making gold phoenix headdresses and the material of birch bark.