Pearl string beret

Wanli - Emperor of the Ming Dynasty

A pearl string beret (kun-mien) is a headdress of the Chinese emperors .

use

Mainly this headdress was used at the accession to the throne. This ceremony had the rank and function of a coronation for western emperors. This was intended to symbolize the takeover of power, which, however, probably took place before that.

The Chinese emperors wore a ceremonial regalia on their accession to the throne , which was administered by the Office for Imperial Dress (shang-i-chien). For different grades of ceremonies there were different grades of vestments. The regalia for the accession to the throne consisted of a pearl-string beret for the head and a square black beret, the narrow sides of which were directed forwards and backwards. Twelve strings of twelve pearls hung from each of these two sides.

The emperor wore a black jacket and a yellow skirt with his beret . Over the skirt was an apron-like belt (front only) which was held on both sides of the hip by red tassels . Probably a stylized sword belt . The emperor's shoes were raised like kothurnen .

The pearl string beret was probably introduced in the Sung period and was used until the Qing emperors came to power .

The use of this headdress is well documented by Ta-Ming Hui-Tien, Chapter 45, from 1587, and relates to the Ming accession ceremonies .

literature

• Peter Greiner: Accession and succession to the throne in China of the Ming. (1366–1644) (= Treatises of the Orient. Vol. 43, Issue 1). German Oriental Society, Wiesbaden 1977, ISBN 3-515-02578-2 .
• Ray Huang: 1587, a year like any other. The decline of the Ming. Insel-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1986, ISBN 3-458-14513-3 .