Court Crown of a Beile

Prescribed winter and summer crowns

The court crown (*chaoguan*) of a *duoluo beile* was a formal headpiece worn in prescribed ceremonies by a member of the Qing imperial clan holding that noble rank. It should not be confused with a local administrative office or with an ordinary cap. The court regulated the golden dragon finial, eastern pearls and gemstones as attributes of ceremonial status.

According to volume 4 of the *Huangchao liqi tushi*, the winter crown carried a two-tier golden-dragon finial with seven eastern pearls and a red gemstone at the summit. The summer crown had a front ornament designated *shelin* with three eastern pearls and a rear golden floral ornament with two; its upper finial followed the winter prescription. The seasonal distinctions indicate that crowns of the same noble rank were not simply identical objects worn at different times of year.

Hierarchical comparison and limits

The same volume prescribes six eastern pearls for the winter crown of a *beizi*, with two pearls on the summer front ornament and one on the rear decoration. These contrasts clarify the ritual importance of pearl counts. They cannot establish, however, that a particular *beile* owned all the permissible forms or wore a given crown at a known ceremony. Ownership, date and alterations to surviving crowns remain questions for museum catalogues, provenance and object examination.

For related historical context and vocabulary, consult Festive Dress (Jifu) in the Qing Dynasty.

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