Common Headdresses (发冠) Worn by Women in the Song Dynasty

Times may change, but one thing remains: women have always found ways to express themselves through their hair and its ornaments. In the Song dynasty, they styled their hair high and adorned it with crowns.

In this article, we will explore headdresses/crowns (发冠 ; fā guān), commonly worn by women in the Song dynasty.

What is Fa Guan 发冠?

Fa Guan (发冠 ; fā guān), we will discuss here are not 礼冠 (lǐ guān), the ceremonial crowns. Instead, we refer to 便冠 (biàn guān)—everyday crowns worn by Song women.

In terms of materials, Bian Guan in the Song dynasty came in various forms: made of gold and silver, horn, fish pillow, tortoiseshell, crystal, etc. Among these, the most commonly used was the white horn crown (白角冠 ; bái jiǎo guān).

Generally, Bian Guan can be categorized into three main types: Tuan Guan (round crown), Chui Jian Guan (shoulder-draping crown), and Hua Guan (flower crown).

1. Tuan Guan 团冠 (tuán guān) | Round Crown

This type of crown comes in circular, oval, or flat-round shapes—also called Yuan Guan (圆冠 ; yuán guān). Typically made from white horn, gold, silver, or crystal. Some are decorated with pearls or golden engraving patterns (Liujin 鎏金 technique), thus also known as Zhu Guan (pearl crown, 珠冠 ; zhū guān).

The crown is secured with long hairpins called Ji or Zan Zi, sometimes with ornamental tips.

One well-known variation is Shan Kou Guan (山口冠 ; shān kǒu guān), tall and towering, with a lower center and higher sides. In Qian Xuan’s painting《招凉仕女图》(zhāo liáng shì nǚ tú), a woman is shown wearing a translucent crystal Shan Kou Guan, appearing light and cool, perfect for summer wear.

2. Chui Jian Guan 垂肩冠 (chuí jiān guān) | Shoulder-Draping Crown

If you’ve ever seen women in Song attire wearing a crown that softly drapes to the shoulders, that’s Chui Jian Guan. This crown became popular during the mid-Northern Song dynasty. As described by Mei Yaochen: “Curved brows, gentle face, hair tied up, wearing a thin white horn crown that drapes to the shoulders.”

This crown has a unique shape: both sides curve down to frame the face and shoulders (《梦溪笔谈·器用》mèng xī bǐ tán · qì yòng). It is also called Deng Jian Guan (等肩冠 ; děng jiān guān) or Dan Jian Guan (单肩冠 ; dān jiān guān).

Developed from the Tuan Guan, it adds longer, curved extensions at its four corners. Often adorned with flowers, gemstones, or gold ornaments—like in 《大宋宣和遗事》(dà sòng xuān hé yí shì): “The beautiful woman wore a Dan Jian Guan and tucked in flowers from the imperial garden.”

This type of crown is large, richly decorated, and generally popular among women of the middle and upper classes.

There is also a variation with straighter, shorter corners called Duan Guan (短冠 ; duǎn guān, short crown), as recorded by Wang Dechen in《塵史·礼仪》(chén shǐ · lǐ yí).

3. Hua Guan 花冠 (huā guān) | Flower Crown

Hua Guan has two meanings:

First, crowns decorated with flowers—Tuan Guan, Chui Jian Guan, and Duan Guan could all be enhanced with floral ornaments. Besides fresh flowers, Song women also used fabric, gold, silver, gemstones, and even tongcao (a sponge-like natural material) to craft artificial blossoms.

Second, crowns truly shaped like flowers—Peony (牡丹 ; mǔ dān), Lotus (莲花 ; lián huā), Apricot (杏花 ; xìng huā), and others.

These flower crowns are usually full and rounded in silhouette, resembling Tuan Guan, but much softer and more feminine in expression.

Headdresses Style Comparison: Northern vs. Southern Song

A comparison of paintings from the Northern and Southern Song dynasties shows differences in headdress styles and how they were worn:

• Northern Song: Headdresses were taller, larger, and more open, typically worn on top of the head.
• Southern Song: Headdresses were generally smaller, flatter, with closed tops, and worn closer to the back of the head.

Just like clothing trends, headdresses’ shapes evolved—from wide and expressive to soft and graceful.

Source:《我在宋朝穿什么》by 陆蕾