A study on the Qi floss-filled"Fengmao"with symmetric wave and phoenix patterns from the Northern Dynasties
"Fengmao"is a type of hat mainly worn by the Xianbei people during the Wei,Jin,Southern and Northern Dynasties.It wraps around the head,featuring straps and drapes,and holds distinct ethnic and historical characteristics.The term"Fengmao"is coined by the academic community today due to its design of wrapping around the head with the hat body and draping over the shoulders and back,effectively shielding against wind and cold.Previous research on"Fengmao"has been limited by the scarcity of related cultural relics,primarily focusing on document and image analysis.However,the Ethnic Costume Museum of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology houses a rare specimen:a Qi floss-filled"Fengmao"with symmetric wave and phoenix patterns from the Northern Dynasties.With a unique shape and structure,it provides a valuable physical artifact for research on the"Fengmao"of the Northern Dynasties.This article centered on the research of"Fengmao"specimen from the Northern Dynasties collected by the Ethnic Costume Museum of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology.Based on historical documents,images,and physical materials,this article conducted research and analysis on the ethnic affiliation,wearer identity,era,and stylistic characteristics of the era.The article concluded with three main points.First,it is speculated that this"Fengmao"was worn by a male nobleman from the Tuyuhun region in the late Northern Dynasties,based on the evidence on the collection site,historical background,and seal writing style.Second,by using typological methods to summarize the physical and image data of"Fengmao"from the Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties,it was confirmed that the relative age of the"Fengmao"collected by the Ethnic Costume Museum is between the Luoyang period of Northern Wei and the Sui and Tang Dynasties,and that it is a precious physical specimen of"Fengmao"in the later period of the Northern Dynasties.Third,compared to other known"Fengmao"objects of the same type from the Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties,the"Fengmao"of the Northern Dynasties collected by the Ethnic Costume Museum has unique features,such as a narrow upper and wide lower part,a small pointed crown,a separable structure between the hat body and the drape,pleats at the back of the hat body in a zigzag fashion and a type of back tie sewn together at the root and suffixed on the back of the hat body.It shows a transitional state between the Pingcheng period of the Northern Wei and the Sui and Tang Dynasties,providing important physical reference for the study of"Fengmao"during this period.On the basis of previous documents and image research on the"Fengmao"of the Northern Dynasties,this article first addressed the nomenclature of the"Fengmao",and confirmed the connection between the name and the actual object.Then,using cultural relics information,the article conducted a physical analysis on the"Fengmao"from the Northern Dynasties collected by the Ethnic Costume Museum through data measurement and 1∶1 size restoration,showcasing its shape and structural characteristics.Finally,through the mutual verification of documents,images,and physical evidence,the article explored the age and ethnicity of this"Fengmao"from the Northern Dynasties,and analyzed the era characteristics in its stylistic characteristics in depth.
"Fengmao"the Northern DynastiesXianbei hatTuyuhunheadgearshape and structuretypology