Mianguan

[2] In Japan, emperors and nobles wore gold, silver, and gilt-bronze crowns, influenced by the Korean peninsula, from the Kofun period (mid 3rd century-7th century).

In the 8th century, influenced by the Chinese mianguan, the unique benkan was born, a metal crown with chains and a sun-shaped ornament at the top.

In addition, the mian was also worn by the various lords, such as dukes, marquises, counts, viscounts, and barons, as well as hú (狐, ministerial class), qīng (卿, lit.

[8] The Book of Rites also has the following description of the mian: The king's yùzǎo has twelve chains hanging from the front and back of the yán, and his ceremonial robe has dragon patterns on it, which he wears to worship.

A commentary on the Book of Rite is the Right Meaning of the Ritual Records (禮記正義, Lǐjì Zhèngyì).

On the other hand, according to the commentary by Kong Yingda (574 – 648) in the same book, the beads of the king's mian are five colors (from top to bottom: vermillion, white, blue, yellow, and black), and the distance between each jade is 1 cun (about 3 cm).

Both Zheng Xuan nor Kong Yingda's commentaries are likely conceptual, based on Confucian principles rather than known excavated or physical examples of mianguan during the Zhou dynasty.

According to the Book of the Later Han, the extension (board) at the top of the revived mianguan was 7 cun wide and 1.2 chi long, with a rounded front edge and a square back edge, and the surface of the extension was black and the reverse side was red and green.

In Gu Kaizhi's Admonitions Scroll, Emperor Yuan of the Western Han dynasty is depicted, and the crown he wears is thought to be the tongtianguan (通天冠, lit.

According to the Book of Jin, a tongtianguan was worn over a black cape, and a mianguan, called a píngmiǎn (平冕, lit.

In the Eastern Han dynasty, the crown was an integral part of the cap and the extension (board), but in the Jin dynasty, it is thought that the crown was changed to a detachable type, with the extension of the mianguan placed on top of the tongtianguan, which was worn daily, at special occasions.

[17] The extension was 7 cun wide and 1.2 chi long, black on the surface and vermilion-green on the reverse, rounded at the front and angular at the rear.

[18] Emperor Wen (reigned 581 - 604) of the Sui dynasty, in reference to the appearance of the red sparrow, a sign of good omen, when he received a mandate from heaven, changed the color of the imperial robes worn at court to red, while the gǔnmiǎn (袞冕, imperial dress with dragons and mianguan) worn at rituals remained unchanged.

[18] The mianguan was black with 12 chains of white jade beads, chinstrap, tǒukuàng (an ornament resembling earplugs), and hairpin.

The upper extension of the mianguan was blue on the surface and vermilion on the reverse side, and did not have chains and earplugs attached.

[19] In ancient Japan, emperors and nobles wore metal crowns made of gold, silver, and gilt bronze under the influence of the Korean peninsula.

[20] Furthermore, a sun-shaped ornament was added to the top of the benkan, giving birth to a uniquely Japanese crown.

[22] The benkan, hōkan, and nikkeikan crowns made in the Edo period (1603-1867) each have survived, but as imperial treasures (御物), these are not usually shown to the public.

In the Han dynasty, the yan was round in the front but flat in the back; it was about 7 inches (180 mm) in width and 1 foot (0.30 m) in length.

[3] On both sides of the mianguan, there was a hole where an emerald hairpin could pass through so that the crown could be fastened to the hair bun of its wearer.

[23] The 12 chains dangles down the shoulders and were made of jade beads of multiple colours which would sway with the wearer's movement.

[citation needed] The quantity and quality of the jewellery were an important marker of social ranking.