Jewelry in the Qing Dynasty was also distinguished in function, and there would be a difference in the jewelry worn in winter and summer, which can be seen from the headdresses of emperors and empresses. As emperor, he could wear a luxurious crown to show his status, called the "Dragon Crown". The empress, on the other hand, wears a crown to show her status, also known as the "phoenix crown".
In ancient times, clothing was a more important part of the ceremony, and the status of the top hat was more important, the top hat of each dynasty was different, and the official top hat in the Qing Palace would be divided according to the season, as long as it was a warm hat and a cool hat. It is also well understood in a literal sense.
Warm caps
This winter hair crown also has a warm name called "warm hat". In the Qing Dynasty, it was prepared for important occasions, and the emperors and empresses wore naturally called the "Winter Dynasty Crown".
Warm in winter and cool in summer are the characteristics of the season and the basic principle of dress. The Qing palace top hat is not a luxurious dress from above, but is both practical and aesthetic. In the Qing Dynasty, all items had a strict hierarchy, the top hat was the same, and what grade was matched with what jewelry was clearly stipulated, so when you see the corresponding jewelry, you will know what level of people wear it.
The crown above is a top hat worn by the empress and empress dowager of the Qing Dynasty when attending the ceremony in winter. The empress dowager and the empress are the same, but the styles of the imperial concubines and below are the same, the difference is in the texture and quantity of jewelry such as pearls.
The Crown of the Empress Dowager and Empress of the Qing Dynasty was made of smoked mink, decorated with a phoenix top with three layers of gold and silk, a first-class large eastern bead between each layer, a pearl on the head, wings and tail, and a piece of cat's eye stone embedded on the back. The eaves are decorated with seven golden phoenixes, also inlaid with pearls, and decorated with cat stone. The crown is decorated with a golden zhai, hanging bead spikes, sharing more than 300 precious natural pearls. The middle gold thread is inlaid with lapis lazuli knots, and the coral falls to the corner. So many natural gemstones are combined with exquisite gold-reel inlay techniques for an atmospheric shape and exquisite craftsmanship, and the entire winter crown shows a sparkling effect.
Although the imperial concubine crown is the same as the queen crown, you still need to know the difference, that is, whether there is a cat qingshi on the seven golden phoenixes. It seems that the Qing Dynasty was still very important to Mao Qingshi. In fact, cat's eye stone is a modern golden green opal, which has been a precious gemstone since ancient times, and it must be a cat's eye stone with a cat's eye effect that is more valuable.
However, it is worth mentioning that from the comparison of the imperial crown in the portrait of Empress Xiaoxian of the Qianlong Dynasty and the imperial dress of The Huixian Emperor's noble concubine, the imperial crown of the Huixian Emperor's noble concubine zhou is embellished with golden phoenixes and the zhou decoration golden phoenix of empress Xiaoxian's imperial crown also has a cat's eye stone.
It can be seen from this that although the hierarchy is strict, the rules are dead, people are alive, if you get the approval of QianlongYe, then wear it!
Golden silk inlaid beaded winter crown
This winter crown is hidden in the Palace Museum, and judging from the number of tops and phoenixes, this should be the imperial crown worn by the emperor's concubines in winter.
Although this winter crown has lost its former golden brilliance after the baptism of history, the overall shape is still magnificent. Worthy of being made for the Royal.
The flexible phoenix perches on the crown, and the shape of each phoenix is very chic, although the phoenix is a totem, but it is portrayed so vividly.
In the design, it is not only practical but also thoughtful, so that it has achieved 360-degree embellishment without dead angles, every detail can withstand scrutiny, and the middle of the bead is embellished with two gold lazuli knots with 6 pearls each, and the end is embellished with a red coral pendant. In the matching of colors, it shows the nobility and atmosphere of court jewelry.
From the details, we can see the superb craftsmanship of this crown, and I have to admire the craftsmen at that time, with simple tools to repeatedly produce but have the ability to be fascinating, perhaps they have been doing one thing all their lives, because concentration can surpass, and they have left behind royal jewelry that future generations are proud of.
This article is from the original jewelry appraiser Yuanyuan, some of the pictures from the network, if there is infringement, please contact us to delete, thank you!