Manchu official headwear
Encyclopedia
Qing Guanmao is the headwear of officials during the Qing Dynasty
in China
. It consisted of (in winter) a black velvet
cap
, or (in summer) a hat
woven in rattan
or similar materials, both with a button on the top. The button or knob would become a finial
during formal court ceremonies held by the Emperor. Officials would have to change their tops on the hat, for non-formal ceremonies or daily businesses.
Red silk tassels extended down from the finial to cover the hat, and a large peacock feather (with one to three "eyes") could be attached to the back of the hat, should the merit of wearing it would have been granted by the Emperor.
The colour and shape of the finial depended on the wearer's grade. The royalty and nobility used various numbers of pearl
s.
An officer of the first grade wore a translucent red ball (originally ruby
); second grade, solid red ball (originally coral
); third grade, translucent blue ball (originally sapphire
); fourth grade, solid blue ball; fifth grade, translucent white ball (originally crystal
); sixth grade, solid white ball (originally mother of pearl
). Officers of the seventh to ninth grade wore gold or clear amber balls of varied designs.
The Qing officials also wore a mandarin square
rank badge.
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It consisted of (in winter) a black velvet
Velvet
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed,with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel.The word 'velvety' is used as an adjective to mean -"smooth like velvet".-Composition:...
cap
Cap
A cap is a form of headgear. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head and have no brim or only a visor. They are typically designed for warmth and, when including a visor, blocking sunlight from the eyes...
, or (in summer) a hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
woven in rattan
Rattan
Rattan is the name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia.- Structure :...
or similar materials, both with a button on the top. The button or knob would become a finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
during formal court ceremonies held by the Emperor. Officials would have to change their tops on the hat, for non-formal ceremonies or daily businesses.
Red silk tassels extended down from the finial to cover the hat, and a large peacock feather (with one to three "eyes") could be attached to the back of the hat, should the merit of wearing it would have been granted by the Emperor.
The colour and shape of the finial depended on the wearer's grade. The royalty and nobility used various numbers of pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
s.
An officer of the first grade wore a translucent red ball (originally ruby
Ruby
A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires...
); second grade, solid red ball (originally coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
); third grade, translucent blue ball (originally sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
); fourth grade, solid blue ball; fifth grade, translucent white ball (originally crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
); sixth grade, solid white ball (originally mother of pearl
Nacre
Nacre , also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer; it is also what makes up pearls. It is very strong, resilient, and iridescent....
). Officers of the seventh to ninth grade wore gold or clear amber balls of varied designs.
The Qing officials also wore a mandarin square
Mandarin square
A Mandarin square , also known as a rank badge, was a large embroidered badge sewn onto the surcoat of an official in Imperial China...
rank badge.
See also
- Tang official headwearTang official headwearthumb|Tang Emperor Xuanzong wearing Tang style headwearThe headwear of Tang dynasty officials consisted of a black hat with two wing-like flaps. However, contrary to headwear of the Song dynasty, the flaps droop down.-See also:*Qing official headwear...
- Ming official headwearMing official headwearThe headwear of a Han Chinese official during Ming Dynasty China consisted of a black hat with two wing-like flaps of thin, oval shaped boards on each side called the wushamao...
- Song official headwearSong official headwearthumb| [[Emperor Shenzong of Song]] wearing Song official headwearThe headwear of Song dynasty officials consisted of a black hat with two wing-like flaps. The thin flaps are stiff and straight, and could extend up to almost a meter each.-See also:...
- List of hats and headgear
- Hanfu