[Hanfu · 漢服] China Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)Traditional Clothing Hanfu Photoshoots

Everyday Court Attire of the Ming Empress: The Yanju Crown and Garment (燕居冠服) and Its Symbolism

The everyday attire of empresses in the Ming dynasty of China was also known as Yanju Crown and Garment（燕居冠服）. Its function ranked only second to formal ceremonial dress and it was used for various ritual occasions. For example, after an empress was officially invested, once she completed the thanksgiving rites in full ceremonial dress, she would return to the palace, change into the Yanju Crown and Garment（燕居冠服）, and then receive congratulatory greetings from her inner-family relatives, as well as from the Six Offices female officials (六尚女官) and the eunuchs of the various supervisory directorates (各监局内使).

The Double-Phoenix Supporting Dragon Crown（双凤翊龙冠） was the Yanju crown of the empress （燕居冠）. The Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty (《明会典》) provides a detailed description of its form:

“The Double-Phoenix Supporting Dragon Crown （双凤翊龙冠） was made of black gauze （皂縠）, adorned with kingfisher-feather Boshan ornaments （翠博山）. On the crown was one golden dragon （金龙）, flanked by two pearl-and-kingfisher phoenixes （珠翠凤）, each holding pearl pendants （珠滴） in their beaks.
At the front and back were two pearl peony flowers （珠牡丹花）, each with eight stamens （蕊头八个）, thirty-six kingfisher leaves （翠叶三十六叶）, and two side ornaments inlaid with pearls and kingfisher feathers （珠翠穰/镶花鬓）.
There were twenty-one pearl-and-kingfisher cloud motifs （珠翠云二十一片）, one pair of kingfisher mouth rings （翠口圈）, and nine golden treasure floral ornaments （金宝钿花九）, each set with one pearl （上饰珠九颗）.
A pair of golden phoenixes （金凤一对） held pearl knots （珠结） in their beaks. There were six Boshan side panels （三博鬓，左右共六扇）, decorated with luan and phoenix motifs （鸾凤）, twenty-four golden treasure ornaments （金宝钿二十四）, with pearl pendants hanging from the edges （边垂珠滴）.
The crown was also fitted with one pair of golden hairpins （金簪一对） and one pair of coral phoenix beaks （珊瑚凤冠觜/嘴一副）.”

As everyday attire, the Yanju crown （燕居冠） was worn together with the everyday robe （常服大衫） and the ceremonial cape （霞帔）.

As shown in the images above many China Ming dynasty empresses are depicted wearing the Yanju crown （燕居冠） while dressed in bright yellow or nearly orange colours robes reflecting a standardized and recognizable visual representation of empressly attire during the Ming dynasty.Although the Yanju crowns worn by each empress differ in their specific details, this variation reflects the fact that each crown was individually crafted by artisans for a particular empress, and, following the empress's death, was required to be buried together with her as part of the burial goods.

There are also extant crowns excavated from Ming dynasty imperial tombs. Among them is this crown belonging to Empress Xiaoduan (孝端皇后), unearthed from a Ming imperial mausoleum, as shown in the following images

Unearthed in 1957 from the Dingling Mausoleum of the Ming Thirteen Tombs in Changping District, Beijing （1957年北京市昌平区明十三陵定陵出土）.

______

• 📸Photo:@虞小姐古装摄影
• 🔗Xiaohongshu:https://www.xiaohongshu.com/discovery/item/695f6d8b000000000a0282a0?source=webshare&xhsshare=pc_web&xsec_token=ABtjwhnXtT1go1rBFKSQHo77tDAjWDiO7wQijANpwOaDc=&xsec_source=pc_share

_______