(), also called (), refers to a traditional Chinese ornament which uses long

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...

tail feather appendages to decorate some headdress in ,

Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...

costume Costume is the distinctive style of dress and/or makeup of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, occupation, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch—in short, culture. The term also was traditionally used to describe typica ...

s. In Chinese opera, the not only decorative purpose but are also used express thoughts, feelings, and the drama plot. They are typically used on the helmets of warriors, where a pair of pheasant feathers extensions are the indicators that the character is a warrior figure; the length of the feathers, on the other hand, is an indicator of the warrior's rank. The are generally about five or six feet long. Most of the time, are used to represent handsome military commanders.

Origins

It is suggested that the use of originated from the (), a form of used by the military officials since the ancient times. Similar headgear decorated with pairs of worn the military can be seen in paintings dating to the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

Wuguan

During the

Warring States period The Warring States period in history of China, Chinese history (221 BC) comprises the final two and a half centuries of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC), which were characterized by frequent warfare, bureaucratic and military reforms, and ...

King Wuling of Zhao King Wuling of Zhao () (died 295 BCE, r. 325–299 BCE), personal name Zhao Yong, was a ruler of the Zhao state. His reign was famous for one important event: the reforms consisting of "Wearing the Hu (styled) Attire and Shooting from Horseback ( ...

adopted the policy and a -style which looks similar to the conical hat of the

Scythian The Scythians ( or ) or Scyths (, but note Scytho- () in composition) and sometimes also referred to as the Pontic Scythians, were an ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic people who had migrated during the 9th to 8th centuries BC fr ...

was adopted. King Wuling's -style was less pointy than the actual Scythian hat and he decorated his hat with a

marten A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on ...

tail to denote his noble status. The King of Qin later give the -style of King Wuling to his servant as an insult to King Wuling after the latter had destroyed the regime of the Zhao state.

King Huiwen of Zhao King Huiwen of Zhao () (born 310 BCE – died 266 BCE, r. 298–266 BCE), personal name Zhao He, was a king of the Zhao state. During his reign, the Zhao state reached its apogee, with the aid of famous administrators and generals alike such as ...

later wore the same -style as his father, King Wuling; and therefore this type of was named (). Many years later, the evolved into the military cap called . By the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

, a decorated with

feathers became known as () and was used by the military officials of the Han dynasty. The was first worn in the state of Zhao to distinguish military officers during the Warring States period. The was possibly itself derived from the -style adopted by King Wuling through policy. The snow pheasant () was a symbolism of martial valour and courage due to its association with the snow pheasant which would fight its opponent until death.

Skills and manipulation

The skills required to manipulate the two pheasant feathers are known as . These skills include shaking and swinging; sometimes the are shaken with one hand but sometimes two hands are used. The skills of are used by many roles; however, they are especially used in the role. When combined the movements of the head and body of the actor, the movement of the express the feelings and dispositions of the character, which include the expression of surprise, hatred, happiness, and frivolity.

Gallery

File:Chinese Actresses 1880.JPG, Chinese actresses in Malaysia, 1880 File:Chinese Opera at Lincoln Center (186927714).jpg

Notes

References