īy the Bronze Age, hairpins which were made out of gold had been introduced into China by people living on the country's Northern borders. Some ancient Chinese hairpins dating from the Shang dynasty can still be found in some museums. 3000–1500 BC), along with jade carving technology. Hairpins which were made out of carved jade appeared in China as early as the Neolithic Period ( c. Initially, Chinese people liked hairpins which were made out of bone and jade. Design and construction Materials Silver hairpins, Tang dynasty If they were to meet again in the future, they would then put the hairpin together again, as a proof of their identity and as a symbol of their reunion. Similarly, when married couples were separated for a long period of time, they would break a hairpin in two and each keep one part. The chai hairpin also used to be a form of love token when lovers were forced to break apart, they would often break a hairpin in half, and each would keep half of the hairpin until they were reunited. After the wedding, the husband would then return the hairpin to his newly-wed wife by placing it back in her hair. When engaged to be married, Chinese women would take the hairpin from their hair and give it to their male fiancé. Hairpins as a love token Betrothal and wedding customs After the ceremony, the woman would be eligible for marriage. During the ceremony, their hair would be coiled into a bun with a ji hairpin. When a woman turned 15, she stopped wearing braids, and a hairpin ceremony called " Ji Li" ( 笄礼), or "hairpin initiation", would be held to mark the rite of passage. Before the age of 15 years old, women did not use hairpins, and always kept their hair in braids. Ji played an important role in the coming-of age of Han Chinese women. Cultural Burials ĭuring the Chinese funeral period, women in mourning were not allowed to wear hairpins. There were many varieties of hairpin, many having their own names to denote specific styles, such as zan, ji, chai, buyao and tiaoxin. Prior to the establishment of the Qing dynasty, both men and women coiled their hair into a bun using a ji. Hairpins could be made out of various materials, such as jade, gold, silver, ivory, bronze, bamboo, carved wood, tortoiseshell and bone, as well as others. The materials, elaborateness of the hairpin's ornaments, and the design used to make the hairpins were markers of the wearer's social status. They were also used as every day hair ornaments in ancient China all Chinese women would wear a hairpin, regardless of their social rank. Hairpins are an important symbol in Chinese culture, and are associated with many Chinese cultural traditions and customs. The earliest form of Chinese hair stick was found in the Neolithic Hemudu culture relics the hair stick was called ji (笄), and were made from bones, horns, stones, and jade. 'Ji' (with the same character of 笄) is also the term used for hairpins of the Qin dynasty. Ji ( 筓) (also known as fazan ( 髮簪 or 发簪), zanzi ( 簪子) or zan ( 簪) for short) and chai (钗) are generic term for hairpin in China. Two styles of Chinese hairpin, zan and chai.Ĭhina, at least since the Neolithic Hemudu culture (5500 BC to 3300 BC)
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