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Ceremonial Court Belt of a Qing Beile

Material forms, ritual meanings, and the historical record

The court belt of a doroi beile was worn by a member of this rank of the Qing imperial clan with the prescribed court costume. Beile was a hereditary noble grade within the.

Written by MING YECulture & Everyday LifeManchuCulture Wiki
Source-based English editorial manuscript · Historical details subject to final source verification.

Historical Background

The court belt of a doroi beile was worn by a member of this rank of the Qing imperial clan with the prescribed court costume. Beile was a hereditary noble grade within the imperial-family hierarchy, below prince of the first and second ranks and above beise, not an ordinary administrative appointment. A court belt formed part of a formal ensemble and should not be confused with everyday waistwear.

Forms and Practices

Volume 4 of the Illustrated Regulations for Imperial Ritual Paraphernalia (Huangchao liqi tushi) prescribes a golden-yellow belt with four square jade plaques mounted in gold. Each plaque is ornamented with two eastern pearls; the pendant cords are dark blue (shiqing). The materials and pearl counts made noble distinctions materially visible. The text is a regulation for a grade of dress, not proof that any particular surviving belt belonged to a named beile.

Interpretation and Evidence

Compiled under the Qianlong emperor, the Illustrated Regulations treats sacrificial vessels, ceremonial objects, clothing, music, processions, and military equipment; volumes 4–7 concern court attire. Its descriptions coordinate materials, motifs, and permitted users. The beile provisions must accordingly be interpreted as one element of a graded costume system rather than isolated decorative preferences.

Sources and Bibliography

  1. Source reference 1 — zh.wikisource.org
  2. Source reference 2 — zh.wikisource.org
  3. Source reference 3 — www.dpm.org.cn
  4. Source reference 4 — www.shidianguji.com

References reproduce links supplied with the Chinese research manuscript. Individual historical claims have not all been independently verified against the primary sources.