Festive Crown of a Beile’s Fujin

A separate category of crown

The festive crown of a *beile's fujin* belonged to the *jifu* system of regulated clothing used on specified celebratory and other occasions. The *fujin* was the principal wife of a *duoluo beile*, a rank of Qing imperial-clan nobility below a prince of the second rank and above a *gushan beizi*. This was a ceremonial status derived from the husband's rank, not an independent administrative appointment.

A crown worn with festive clothing (*jifuguan*) differed in function and classification from the court crown (*chaoguan*) used during more solemn state ceremonies. The *Huangchao liqi tushi* classifies dress by wearer and occasion, distinguishing court and festive arrangements and often differentiating seasonal versions. The ornaments of a male *beile's* festive crown therefore cannot be transferred automatically to the crown of his wife.

Evidence and comparative reading

The relevant female provision must be checked for the actual finial, ornaments and seasonal distinctions. The cited Chinese manuscript does not supply verified numbers or materials for this particular crown, so a precise specification should not be invented. The illustrated code was compiled under the Qianlong emperor and recorded institutional norms; it does not prove that a surviving object was originally made, used or later preserved without change according to every regulation. Proper description accordingly separates status, clothing category and object-specific evidence.

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

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