#wihedits

fengguan (鳳冠): pheonix crown

fengguan is a chinese traditional ceremonial headgear worn by noblewomen. these crowns were first developed during the tang dynasty and were worn till the very end of the ming dynasty. many changes were made with time, and it would be worn either by a bride on her wedding day or by an aristocratic lady on formal occasions, as an indication of her wealth and status. 

the crown is decorated with gold dragons, phoenixes made with kingfisher feathers, beaded pheasants, pearls, clouds, flowers, and gemstones. the number of pearls used range from 3426 to 5449, while the number of gemstones used range from 95 to 128. depending on the number of dragons, phoenixes and pheasants, and the presence or absence of certain ornaments, there are different varieties of fengguan. 

the fengguan of empresses includes the 12 dragons and 9 phoenixes crown, 9 dragons and 9 phoenixes crown, and the 6 dragons and 3 phoenixes crown.  the fengguan worn by royal concubines and princesses (includes wives of princes) included the 9 pheasants crown, 7 pheasants crown, and 5 pheasants crown, which was adorned with beaded pheasants and gold phoenixes, with the number of pheasants representing the wearer’s royal rank.

dianzi ( 钿子) - qing dynasty headdress

dianzi in the manchu language is literally translated as a “hat ring”. this “hat ring” referred to the kind of hat supported by a circular iron wire in its rim. the base of a dianzi is usually made of thin rattan strips or wires wrapped with black silk, and woven into check or coin patterns, or other auspicious designs. gemstones and pearls are fixed onto the hat base in various auspicious patterns. dianzi is usually worn by noble women for special occasions, like weddings and birthday ceremonies, and traditional festivals.

empress sun of ming (1399 - 1462 CE)

“but sun bore a son in 1427, while hu, suffering from ill health failed to do so. in 1429, the emperor had her step down and had sun take her place. “

“before enthroning sun as empress, the xuande emperor had already broken precedent in her investiture as consort. when a consort was invested, her headdress had nine pheasants and four dragons, whereas her normal headdress was decorated with the male luan bird and a pheonix. her symbols of office were a silver ce with her name with her name and rank inscribed on it and a small seal. where the xuande emperor broke with precedent was in giving sun  a golden bao, like the empress’, thus initiating a practice that continued from his time onward.”

Women In History Month | Week 1: Leading Women: Wu Zetian

The Wuhou empress was a highly competent ruler, using men of her own choice, regardless of their social standing. Although her motives were to secure her own authority, the consequences of her policies were to be of great historical importance. The transformation of Chinese society in the Tang period from one dominated by a military and political aristocracy to one governed by a scholarly bureaucracy drawn from the gentry was promoted by her policy. The significance of this aspect of her rule was long obscured by the prejudice of Chinese historians against an usurping empress and her many acts of cruelty toward opponents. She established the new unified empire on a lasting basis and brought about needed social changes that stabilized the dynasty and ushered in one of the most fruitful ages of Chinese civilization.

qing dynasty appreciation week day 5: prominent empress dowagers

~ empress xiaoshengxian of the manchu bordered yellow banner niohuru clan

qianlong’s birth mother was the empress xiaoshengxian of the niohuru clan, consort xi of the yongzheng emperor. she entered into court service as a gege when yongzheng was still a prince. she began to receive special favour after giving birth to prince hongli, who was intelligent and beloved by both his father, yongzheng, and grandfather the kangxi emperor. later, she was bestowed the rank of noble consort only after the passing of yongzheng’s first empress.

source: Sotheby's, Sotheby. “The Emperor's Long Mid-Autumn Holiday.” Sothebys.com, 17 Sept. 2019

after her son hongli succeeded the throne as the qianlong emperor (r. 1736-1795), she was honoured as an empress dowager and conferred the title chongqing. henceforth eight more honorary titles were conferred on her. the qianlong emperor held grand celebrations for her on her sixtieth, seventieth, and eightieth birthdays. in 1777 (the forty-second year of the qianlong period), she passed away in the immortal lodge of eternal spring (changchun xianguan) in the garden of perfect brightness (yuanming yuan, now known as the old summer palace) at the age of eighty-six. she was the most long-lived empress dowager of the qing dynasty.

qing dynasty appreciation week day 2: empresses who belonged to mongolian clans

from left top to right bottom: empress xiaoduanwen of the khorchin borijigit clan; personal name: jerjer, empress xiaozhuangwen of the khorchin borijigit clan; personal name: bumbutai, consort jing of the khorchin borijigit clan; personal name: erdeni bumba, empress xiaohuizhang of the khorchin borijigit clan; personal name: alatan qiqige, empress xiaojingcheng of the khorchin borijigit clan and empress xiaozheyi of the arute clan 

intermarriage between the mongolian banners and the aisin-gioro clan were heavily promoted from the time of nurhaci, with imperial clanswomen marrying mongolian princes and mongolian noblewomen marrying into the imperial family. the mongolian clans were regarded highly by qing emperors due to the immense military assistance they received. mongolian noblewomen were deemed an appropriate choice for the consorts and primary wives of the manchu emperors and princes, as they were the prized descendants of genghis khan.

empress xiaozhuangwen and empress xiaojingcheng were conferred as empresses posthumously, while empress xiaoduanwen, consort jing, empress xiaohuizhang and empress xiaozheyi served as empress consorts. 

Women In History Month | Week 2: Royal Mothers: Empress Zhang of Ming

zhang-shi of northern shanxi married the hongxi emperor, when the yongle emperor was still the prince of yan, and upon the yongle emperor’s succession to the throne, she was promoted to the position of crown princess. she gave birth to 4 children during her lifetime: the future xuande emperor, prince jing of yue, prince xian of xiang and princess jiaxing. 

after the hongxi emperor ascended to the throne in 1424, she was elevated to the position of empress. the hongxi emperor’s reign was very short and he passed away after a year, and was succeeded by the xuande emperor. during the xuande era, empress zhang was honored as empress dowager and highly regarded by her son in political matters. 

following the passing of her son, upon the xuande emperor’s wishes, empress zhang became the regent in 1435 for her underage grandson, the yingzong emperor, along with the three grand secretaries yang shiqi, yang rong and yang pu. she refused the official title of regent during her reign but continued to hold council with ministers till her passing. she was praised for upholding an era of unpredented prosperity that had begun during her husband and her son’s reign. she was posthumously honored as empress chengxiaozhao.

legend of ruyi: dong jie as empress xiaoxian