"noblewoman", "court lady") was granted to wives of officials, non-imperial aristocrats, and collateral clanswomen.
Wives of non-imperial aristocrates were treated as imperial duchesses, but de facto they enjoyed lesser privileges.
The following titles were granted to court ladies: being a daughter of noblewoman Mingfus wore crowns with three bejewled plaques and finial consisting of one coral, silk bandeaus with embroidered golden dragons chasing after a flaming pearl and blue-grounded chaofu on solemn ceremonies.
Mingfus could not wear surcoats with roundels of flowers and auspicious symbols and also golden diadems, unlike imperial duchesses and clanswomen.
Collateral clanswomen could wear surcoats with rampant four-clawed dragons above the magnificent sea-waves pattern (lishui) and white caishui (pointed kerchief fastened to the robe like a pendant).
Wives of officials wore sleeveless vest matching Mandarin square of her husband and Ming Dynasty style tiaras, as depicted on ancestral portraits.