In the historical drama 'Si Jin,' Jing Tian's wedding headdress has sparked an online debate. Many criticized it for resembling a Qing Dynasty 'qitou.' But is it really a Song Dynasty costume paired with a qitou? The answer is no. This headdress actually comes from the Song Dynasty's 'Chuijian Guan' (Drooping Shoulder Crown), a trendy accessory during the mid - to - late Northern Song period.
As recorded in 'Chen Shi,' '...the longer corners droop down to the shoulders, hence called Chuijian.' Similar crowns were known as 'Dengjian' or 'Duojian,' with widths reaching up to two or three chi. People had to turn their heads sideways to enter a carriage because of the crown's width. The character 'Duo' means 'drooping.' Based on the round crown design, this accessory got its name as its sides drooped and were often adorned with gold, silver, pearls, or jade. For instance, Wang Churan's look in 'Serenade of Peaceful Joy' referenced this crown, which reflected her bold personality in the early part of the story. This crown was extremely popular at that time, imitated by people from the imperial court to commoners.
'Dream Pool Essays' described the attire of Li Shishi, a courtesan favored by Emperor Huizong, as 'Duojian high bun with drooping clouds and jade.' 'Tales of the Xuanhe Era' also noted, 'Beauties wore Duojian crowns, adorned with forbidden garden flowers.' Shen Kuo's 'Dream Pool Essays' further added, 'Women also wore drooping shoulder crowns, similar to recent horned crowns, with wings framing the face and drooping to the shoulders, slightly smaller but otherwise identical.'
However, this trend was short - lived. In the first year of Emperor Renzong's Huangyou era, an edict restricted the size of women's crowns to 'no wider than one chi and no longer than four inches.' At first, people obeyed, but later they shortened the crowns, creating the 'Duan Guan' (Short Crown). 'Further, the Duojian was straightened at the corners and shortened, hence called Duan Guan.' Historical records show that this crown had no drooping curves, appearing rectangular and shorter, like a squarish version of the round crown.
The reason Jing Tian's wedding crown is mistaken for a qitou lies in its shape and color scheme. Qing Dynasty 'diancui' (kingfisher feather) accessories are prominent in historical aesthetics, leading to a stereotype. The so - called 'qitou,' also called 'Erbatou' or 'Ruanchitou,' usually uses real or fake hair or satin frames worn directly on the head and adorned with hairpins. It features a 'figure - eight' shape at the back, different from the Song Dynasty's drooping shoulder crown despite some superficial similarities.
Additionally, the drama added 'bobin' (side tassels) to Jing Tian's headdress. Bobin is a formal accessory for noblewomen and deities, usually paired with phoenix or pheasant crowns. Combining an informal drooping crown with formal bobin creates a mismatched look, which is a common issue in costume dramas. Bobin dates back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
So, what did a proper Song Dynasty noblewoman's wedding crown look like? 'Serenade of Peaceful Joy' offers a well - researched replica: a crown body with bobin, featuring a central dragon head with pearls and tassels. In the Ming Dynasty, empresses wore three pairs of bobin, while lower - ranking nobles wore fewer. 'San Cai Tu Hui' notes, 'two bobin are today’s side tassels,' reserved for noblewomen. Lower - ranking women wore hairpins, robes, and capes, and 'xiapei' (embroidered capes) became popular among commoners by the Southern Song.
After all this, it really feels like we've only scratched the surface of our ancestors' hair accessories.
