Zhang Ruying’s Notes: From《中国妆束：大唐女儿行》Accessories (Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties: Overview of Typical Women’s Jewelry)

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• About《中国妆束：大唐女儿行》
• Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties: Overview of Typical Women’s Jewelry

Introduction

Hello,

I’m 张儒英 Zhang Ruying, and I am a traditional Chinese clothing enthusiast.

Recently, I had the opportunity to read a book about traditional Chinese attire, especially for the Tang dynasty (618-907), written in Chinese, titled《中国妆束：大唐女儿行》by 左丘萌 and 末春. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and to better understand parts of it, I translated sections that I found challenging. I also made notes (written in English) along the way to help deepen my understanding.

Now, I’m thrilled to share these notes with you! I aim to help us all gain a deeper appreciation for the elegance and historical significance of traditional Chinese attire, which is so rich in history and beauty.

All the information in these notes comes from the book 《中国妆束：大唐女儿行》.

This is for non-commercial purposes only. All rights remain with the original copyright holders.

About《中国妆束：大唐女儿行》

《中国妆束：大唐女儿行》(Zhōng Guó Zhuāng Shù: Dà Táng Nǚ’ér Xíng) by 左丘萌 (Zuǒ Qiūméng) and 末春 (Mò Chūn) attempts to reinterpret the true fashion of women’s makeup and attire during the Tang dynasty, based on archaeological findings of Tang artifacts.

It contrasts these findings with historical records and unearthed documents to reframe how the Tang people themselves might have viewed fashion in their time.

The book covers from the Sui dynasty to the Five Dynasties, and is divided into four sections: Qi Luo 绮罗 (clothing), Lin Lang 琳琅 (accessories), Fen Dai 粉黛 (makeup), and Ji Huan 髻鬟 (hairstyles).

Each section carefully examines and details the names, styles, and combinations of different makeup and attire from that period.

The book selects well-known historical figures, such as Yang Guifei, Wu Zetian, Shangguan Wan’er, Nie Yinniang, Princess Tongchang, and others, based on existing archaeological findings, makes informed speculations to restore the possible makeup and attire of these figures. The book reconstructs their clothing, accessories, hairstyles, makeup, and scenes, all supported by historical sources.

And finally, we have reached the last part of the Accessories (Lin Lang 琳琅) chapter.

隋唐五代：女子典型首饰一览

Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties: Overview of Typical Women’s Jewelry

Ornaments in the Ceremonial System

Hua Chai 花钗 (huā chāi ; Flower Hairpin)

An ornamental headpiece used in the highest-ranking ceremonial attire for titled women (命妇 ; mìng fù). This adornment consists of several components such as Hua Shu, Bao Dian, Bo Bin, and Dian Chai. The number of these components corresponds to the woman’s rank. These parts can be attached to hairpins and either inserted individually into the hair bun or pre-assembled on a crown-shaped base, which is then worn directly on the head during use.

Dian Chai 钿钗 (diàn chāi ; Ornamental Hairpin with Inlaid Design)

An ornamental headpiece used by titled women (命妇 ; mìng fù) in formal luxurious attire (for occasions one level below the highest formality). This ornament omits the complex Hua Shu structure, and differences in status are indicated by the number of Bao Dian, Dian Tou Chai Zi at the ends.

Popular Fashion Trend Jewelry

Jin Tong Zan Hua 金铜杂花 (jīn tóng zá huā) – Early Tang Dynasty

A type of head ornament worn by female officials in formal luxurious attire, as well as by court dancers and musicians. Female officials with ranks could still use steel-based gold flower ornaments inlaid with gems, while those without rank used gold flowers, hairpins, and various jewels. Starting from the reign of Emperor Tang Gaozong, it became fashionable to pair these ornaments with large hair buns supported by ornamental hairpins, or to wear directly a fake bun known as the “lacquered hair bun 漆髮髻 (qī fà jì).”

Yi Ji 义髻 (yì jì) – Wu Zhou

Used by noblewomen in luxurious attire during the reign of Wu Zetian. The most ornate versions were fully adorned with gold foil and golden flower ornaments. The most prestigious ones even added a stringed decoration at the front of the bun, imitating the beaded pendant seen on male emperors’ crowns (inferred from the depiction of the empress in the engraved stone stupa Empress Worshipping Buddha 皇后礼佛图). Meanwhile, simpler versions featured only painted patterns on the fake bun (based on actual findings of flower-painted fake buns from Tang dynasty tombs in Astana).

Hua Dian 花钿 (huā diàn) – Wu Zhou

A popular style of head ornament among palace women. It consists of small gold-plated copper flowers scattered across the hair bun as decoration (inferred from line engravings on the stone coffin of Crown Prince Zhanghuai 章怀太子).

Dian Tou Chai 钿头钗 (diàn tóu chāi) – Wu Zhou

A popular style of head ornament among palace women. On the shaft of the gold coin-shaped hairpin, intricate floral patterns were painted or formed using gold thread (inferred from line engravings on the stone coffin of Crown Prince Zhanghuai 章怀太子).

Bu Yao 步摇 (bù yáo) – Wu Zhou

A popular style of head ornament among palace women. Various decorations such as golden flowers, gemstones, beads, and small dangling bells were hung from hairpins or clips, creating a swaying effect (inferred from the depictions of human figures in line engravings on the stone coffins of Crown Prince Zhanghuai 章怀太子 and Crown Prince Yide 懿德太子).

Feng Guan 凤冠 (fèng guān) – Wu Zhou to Heyday of Tang Dynasty

A popular style of head ornament among noblewomen. It takes the form of a phoenix-shaped crown made from woven gold and silver threads in an openwork design, worn over the hair bun (inferred from line engravings on the stone coffin of Crown Prince Zhanghuai 章怀太子 and the wall painting of Lady Wang 都督夫人王氏 worshipping the Buddha in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang).

Bi Luo Fu Rong Guan 碧罗芙蓉冠 (bì luó fú róng guān) – Wu Zhou to Heyday of Tang Dynasty

A lotus-shaped crown made of blue silk gauze. Originally used by Taoist priests as a ritual crown, it later gained popularity among noblewomen due to the flourishing of Taoism during the Tang dynasty (inferred from Tang dynasty terracotta figurines and wall paintings).

Yi Duo Zi 义子 (yì duǒ zǐ) – Heyday of Tang Dynasty, Kaiyuan Era

A popular style of fake bun among noblewomen. This bun was pre-made and could be worn directly. Initially, the bun stood upright on the head, but over time, the style changed to a bun that tilted forward and hung down, almost touching the forehead (inferred from original artifacts found in the Astana tombs in Turpan, Xinjiang, dated to the third year of the Kaiyuan era (715), as well as silk paintings unearthed from Tang tombs in Astana).

Bao Ji 宝髻 (bǎo jì) – Heyday of Tang Dynasty, Kaiyuan Era

Used by noblewomen in luxurious attire. The pre-made fake bun was decorated with various ornaments such as gold and silver foil, a base woven from pure silver threads, and adorned with pearls and gemstones. There was also a variant that used a crown-shaped base featuring a peacock holding a flower branch, combined with this jeweled bun (inferred from the discovery of crown decoration components from the tomb of Li Chui 李倕 (Lǐ Chuí) in the 24th year of the Kaiyuan era (736), as well as original jewelry unearthed from Tang dynasty tombs in Baofeng, Henan, showing a popular hairstyle combination of the Kaiyuan period).

Hua Dian 花钿 (huā diàn) – Heyday of Tang Dynasty, Tianbao Era

A popular style during the Tang dynasty. Flower ornaments were usually hung on golden hairpins, then secured with gold coins on the hair bun (inferred from silk paintings found in Tang dynasty tombs in Astana, Turpan, Xinjiang, and line engravings on the stone coffin of Concubine Wu Hui 武惠妃).

Zan Hua 簪花 (zān huā) – Heyday of Tang Dynasty, Tianbao Era

During the Tang dynasty’s peak, there was a tradition of pinning flowers onto hair buns. Yang Guifei once pinned a peach blossom near Bao Ji 宝髻 (bǎo jì) on her bun: “In the imperial garden, there were thousand-petal peach blossoms. The Emperor personally picked a branch and pinned it onto his consort’s bun, saying, ‘This flower truly enhances her charm.” (From《开元天宝遗事》kāi yuán tiān bǎo yí shì).

In the Dunhuang 敦煌 song, it is described that a woman pins a begonia flower: “The east wind blows, the begonia 海棠 (hǎi táng) blooms, fragrant fills every floor, fragrance and red gather in clusters, then the lady picks a branch and the flower falls, attaching to the golden hairpin.” (From a Tang dynasty manuscript copy in Dunhuang《虞美人》(yú měi rén)).

Cha Shu 插梳 (chā shū) – Middle to Late Tang Dynasty

Besides being used to comb hair, combs could also be inserted into the hair as decoration. Since the mid-Tang dynasty, the practice of inserting combs as adornments on women’s heads became more elaborate and complex. The combs were often used in pairs, inserted either on top of the bun or on both temples. During the Yuanhe reign (mid-Tang), a new trend emerged where multiple small combs were arranged in a row at the front of the exaggerated “Chuí Jì” (椎髻 ; chuí jì) bun, with floral and leaf decorations also inserted on both sides of the bun.

Bai Bu Zhi 百不知 (bǎi bù zhī) – Middle to Late Tang Dynasty

During the reign of Emperor Tang Muzong, in the Changqing era, intricate jewelry became a trend among women.

The text《唐语林》(táng yǔ lín) states: “In the Changqing period, women in the capital wore jewelry with various decorations such as gold, green gems, and pearls, with hairpins and dangling pendants, all beautiful, and they called it ‘Bai Bu Zhi’.” (Inferred from the crown ornament components found in the tomb of Lady Wu of Qi 齐国太夫人吴氏, discovered in the fourth year of Changqing (824)).

Afterward, fan-shaped hairpin (扇头形簪钗 ; shàn tóu xíng zān chāi) became popular (inferred from original jewelry found in a Tang dynasty tomb on the outskirts of Xi’an).

Hua Chai 花钗 (huā chāi) – Late Tang Dynasty

Due to the decline in national power, noblewomen could no longer afford the luxurious Hua Shu hair ornaments like Hua Chai, so they used gold and silver hairpins as substitutes for formal ceremonial jewelry. However, during this period, women from the common folk also began to imitate Hua Chai, showing a tendency to copy the noblewomen’s jewelry styles (based on the findings of flower hairpins from Tang tombs in the Zi Wei Tian Yuan 紫薇田园小区 (zǐ wēi tián yuán xiǎo qū) area of Xi’an, as well as flower hairpins worn on the heads of ladies in the tomb of the Chen Yuantong 陈元通 (Chén Yuántōng) couple in Xiamen, used for reconstruction estimates).

And there you have it—

I hope these notes have been insightful and encourage you to dive deeper into the world of traditional Chinese fashion, particularly from the Tang dynasty. If you come across any incorrect word / translation, or you have suggestions for improvement, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email.

Thank you so much for your time, and next, we will move on to the section on Hairstyles (Ji Huan 髻鬟).

See you in the next notes #ZhangRuying’sNotes !

张儒英 Zhang Ruying