{"id":1768,"date":"2025-10-25T16:12:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T08:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zhangruying.com\/en\/?p=1768"},"modified":"2025-10-25T16:12:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T08:12:30","slug":"moe-%e6%8a%b9%e9%a2%9d-the-chinese-forehead-ribbon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zhangruying.com\/en\/1768","title":{"rendered":"Mo\u2019e (\u62b9\u989d): The Chinese Forehead Ribbon"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Zhang<\/a><\/p>\n

Mo\u2019e is one type of head ornament in ancient Chinese culture, also called E Dai (\u989d\u5e26 ; \u00e9 d\u00e0i), Tou Gu (\u5934\u7b8d ; t\u00f3u g\u016b), Fa Gu (\u53d1\u7b8d ; f\u0101 g\u016b), Mei Lei (\u7709\u52d2 ; m\u00e9i l\u0113i), Nao Bao (\u8111\u5305 ; n\u01ceo b\u0101o), or Mo Tou (\u62b9\u5934 ; m\u01d2 t\u00f3u). Mo\u2019e could be made of cloth, silk, or brocade, folded or cut into a ribbon shape, then tied around the forehead. It was usually decorated with embroidery, pearls, or jade.<\/p>\n

Mo\u2019e (\u62b9\u989d ; m\u01d2 \u00e9) was originally a kind of head ornament created by the northern ethnic minorities in China to protect themselves from the cold. However, over time, it gradually evolved into a part of Han clothing culture, serving as a head ornament with aesthetic and symbolic value.<\/p>\n

Origin and Development of Mo\u2019e<\/h4>\n
\"Zhang<\/a>
Photo source: Baike Baidu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Regarding the origin of Mo\u2019e, there are two views:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Mo\u2019e originated from the circular head ornament of the Shang and Zhou dynasties called Kui (\u980d ; ku\u01d0) \u2014 made of silk, worn regardless of gender or social status.<\/li>\n
  2. Mo\u2019e originated from Qiao Tou (\u5e67\u5934 ; qi\u0101o t\u00f3u), also called Xiao Tou or Mo Tou, a type of headscarf popular since the Eastern Han dynasty, tied from the back right to the front and crossed at the forehead.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These two views are actually not contradictory. Kui from the Shang and Zhou periods was the earliest form of forehead decoration, and all later forehead ornaments evolved from it. In this sense, the term Mo\u2019e refers to the custom of decorating the forehead with cloth or ribbon tied at the front of the head. However, the form of Qiao Tou from the Eastern Han period was a more direct origin of Mo\u2019e.<\/p>\n

    Since the Qin and Han periods, Mo\u2019e was also used in the military as an identification mark, called \u201cJun Rong Mo\u2019e (\u519b\u5bb9\u62b9\u989d ; j\u016bn r\u00f3ng m\u01d2 \u00e9)” \u2014 part of the military attire.<\/p>\n

    In the annotation of\u300a\u7eed\u6c49\u4e66\u00b7\u8206\u670d\u5fd7\u300b(x\u00f9 h\u00e0n sh\u016b \u00b7 y\u00fa f\u00fa zh\u00ec), Hu Guang (\u80e1\u5e7f ; H\u00fa Gu\u01ceng) said:<\/p>\n

    \u201c\u5317\u65b9\u5bd2\u51b7\uff0c\u4ee5\u8c82\u76ae\u6696\u989d\uff0c\u9644\u65bd\u4e8e\u51a0\uff0c\u56e0\u9042\u53d8\u6210\u9996\u9970\uff0c\u6b64\u5373\u62b9\u989d\u4e4b\u6ee5\u89de\u3002\u201d<\/em>
    \n\u201cIn the cold northern regions, people used mink fur to warm their foreheads. It was first attached to hats, then evolved into a head ornament \u2014 this was the origin of Mo\u2019e.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    Han women also wore Mo\u2019e, especially dancers and singers. They wrapped cloth from the front to the back of the head and tied it, letting the ends hang down, and added circular ornaments on their head scarves.<\/p>\n

    The term \u201cMo\u2019e \u62b9\u989d\u201d began to be used in the Tang dynasty to refer to forehead bands made from folded or sewn cloth ribbons. In\u300a\u65b0\u5510\u4e66\u00b7\u5a04\u5e08\u5fb7\u4f20\u300b(x\u012bn t\u00e1ng sh\u016b \u00b7 l\u00f3u sh\u012b d\u00e9 chu\u00e1n) it is written:<\/p>\n

    \u201c\u5a04\u5e08\u5fb7\u4e43\u81ea\u594b\uff0c\u6234\u7ea2\u62b9\u989d\u6765\u5e94\u8bcf\u3002\u201d<\/em>
    \n\u201cLou Shide, with great spirit, wore a red Mo\u2019e to answer the emperor\u2019s summons.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    Murals from Tang tombs show that women also wore Mo\u2019e, especially maids or performers dressed as men. In the tomb of Princess Xincheng in Liquan, Shaanxi, there is a mural of a maid wearing a red forehead ribbon with white floral patterns. In the tomb of Consort Wei (\u97e6\u8d35\u5983 ; W\u00e9i gu\u00ecf\u0113i), there is a painting of a maid dressed in men\u2019s clothing wearing a long white Mo\u2019e.<\/p>\n

    In the tomb of Duan Lanbi, a young maid in men\u2019s attire wears a floral-patterned Mo\u2019e. From these findings, it is known that Tang Mo\u2019e were usually red or yellow in color, had simple designs, and featured minimal embroidery.<\/p>\n

    During the Song dynasty, soldiers still wore Mo\u2019e over their Futou<\/a> (\u5e5e\u5934 ; f\u00fa t\u00f3u) or hats as a color identifier.<\/p>\n

    In\u300a\u4e1c\u4eac\u68a6\u534e\u5f55\u300b(d\u014dng j\u012bng m\u00e8ng hu\u00e1 l\u00f9) volume 10, it is recorded:<\/p>\n

    \u201c\u5175\u58eb\u7686\u5c0f\u5e3d\uff0c\u9ec4\u7ee3\u62b9\u989d\uff0c\u9ec4\u4e61\u5bbd\u886b\u201d<\/em>
    \n\u201cThe soldiers wore small hats, yellow embroidered Mo\u2019e, and wide yellow robes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    However, since Song men preferred to wear headscarves, Mo\u2019e gradually became a women\u2019s accessory. Song women made them more elaborate, using colorful silk, embroidering floral patterns, or adding gemstones and pearls.<\/p>\n

    During the Yuan dynasty, noblewomen rarely wore Mo\u2019e, but women of the middle and lower classes loved to use it to keep their hair buns neat while working. The design was simple \u2014 a handkerchief folded into a band, tied from back to front around the forehead.<\/p>\n

    During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Mo\u2019e became very popular. All women, from nobles to commoners, wore it. In addition to the fabric ribbon type, many variations appeared: embroidered ones, jewel-adorned ones, and even those with metal buckles at the ends. Wealthy families made Mo\u2019e from otter, fox, or sable fur \u2014 soft furry bands circling the forehead, called Wo Tu (\u5367\u5154 w\u00f2 t\u00f9, \u201clying rabbit\u201d).<\/p>\n

    Noblewomen of the Qing dynasty who wore court attire had to wear Jin Yue (\u91d1\u7ea6 ; j\u012bn yu\u0113) under their ceremonial crown \u2014 a circular hair clasp engraved with golden cloud patterns and inlaid with jewels \u2014 the highest form of Mo\u2019e at that time.<\/p>\n

    Production Techniques and Shapes<\/h4>\n

    The length of Mo\u2019e generally ranged from 41\u201349 cm, and the width from 2.5\u201311 cm.<\/p>\n

    The shapes can be divided into four types:<\/p>\n