As a country of clothing and crowns, ancient Chinese dressing was not only about the body but also about the head. Unlike modern hats, 'headwear' was often directly related to social customs, identity status, and even moral cultivation. Today we discuss the Liang Crown, also known as Jinxian Crown, hailed as the exclusive 'hat' for civil officials.
The Liang Crown
This Liang Crown is 27 cm high with a barrel diameter of 18.5 cm, composed of crown forehead, crown top, and crown ears. The crown forehead is located at the lower part of the crown body, with a begonia-shaped gold pool in the center, decorated with treasure相花 inside, and golden phoenixes on both sides. The crown ears are located at the rear of the crown body, with wing-like凸起 on the upper sides.
The highest level of Ming Dynasty Liang Crown was the eight-beam crown, exclusively for dukes. From first rank to ninth rank officials, the number of beams on the Liang Crown decreased from seven to one.
Court Dress
The Liang Crown was not daily work equipment but part of court dress worn on important occasions. Court dress was worn during major sacrifices, celebrations, New Year, winter solstice, imperial birthdays, and other important moments. Specifically: wearing Liang Crown on head, white Zhongdan inside, red Luo clothes on top, red Luo skirt below, leather belt at waist, with Pei and Shou hanging, holding ivory Hu board, white socks and black shoes.
Regular Dress
Regular dress was the 'work uniform' that officials wore most often for daily court attendance and office work. This complete set included: black gauze cap, round collar robe, belt, tooth tablet, and black boots. According to Ming Taizu's rules, civil and military officials' clothing styles slightly differed - civil officials had wide sleeves one chi wide, while military officials had narrow sleeves.
The Origin of 'Clothes and Hats as Beasts'
Civil officials' patterns were precious birds, using their feathers to symbolize 'literary talent.' Military officials' patterns were exotic beasts, using their fierceness to symbolize military officials' strength and bravery. This is the origin of 'clothes and hats as beasts.'
Crown Ceremony
The ancients believed the crown ceremony was the beginning of rituals. The crown最早 was modified from bird and beast head shapes. During the Yellow Emperor period, the crown and clothing system began to appear. In the pre-Qin period, crowns were mostly made of various beast furs, called 'Bian,' worn by nobles and officials. The Jinxian Crown began in the Han Dynasty and was gradually废除 in the Qing Dynasty. Over nearly two thousand years of use, it gradually became the exclusive 'hat' for civil officials.
As Du Fu wrote: 'Good ministers wear Jinxian crowns on their heads; fierce generals have large feathered arrows at their waists.' The word 'Jinxian' means the responsibility of recommending talented and capable people. The 'beams' on the Jinxian Crown mean the pillars of the country. The more beams, the heavier the responsibility on one's shoulders.