Festive Attire of a Qing Shizi

Rank and occasion

Festive attire (*jifu*) prescribed for a *shizi* was worn by the formally invested heir of a Qing prince of the first rank on celebratory and other authorised occasions. It differed from the full court attire (*chaofu*) of major state ceremonies. The title *shizi* was a recognised imperial-clan status rather than a specific administrative appointment; it did not automatically apply to every princely son.

Volume 4 of the *Huangchao liqi tushi* states that the summer festive crown of a prince of the first rank could employ woven plant fibres, rattan or bamboo, with red silk lining and dark-blue gold-patterned edging. The relevant crown provision extended, under specified conditions, to ranks from *shizi* through *beile*. The same volume indicates that the festive belt of an imperial son was golden yellow and that the corresponding arrangement applied to princes of the first rank, *shizi* and princes of the second rank. Princely python robes could appear in blue or dark blue, while a grant of golden yellow constituted an exception.

Reading clothing combinations

Festive clothing was a coordinated group of crown, robe and belt, not an outfit identified by any single cap or patterned garment. The number of eastern pearls on a *shizi's* court crown and belt was prescribed separately for court dress and should not be transferred into the specifications for festive clothing. Likewise, a man who subsequently inherited princely rank would need to be described according to the dress entitlement associated with his status at each relevant date.

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

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