Futou
| Futou/Putou | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Eunuchs wearing yuanlingshan and futou, Tang dynasty | |||||||
 Ming dynasty officials wearing yuanlingshan and wushamao (a type of futou) | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 襆頭/幞頭 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 幞头 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | Scarf head | ||||||
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Futou (simplified Chinese: 幞头; traditional Chinese: 襆頭/幞頭), also pronounced and written as putou, is a form of Chinese headwear which was commonly worn in the Tang and Song dynasties.[1]: 319 It was also typically worn by government officials.[2] The shape of the futou worn by the government officials in the Song and Ming dynasties was based on the futou of the Tang dynasty which is its precursor.[1]: 71–72 The futou was originally a turban-like headwear which was tied at the back of its wearer's head, the two corners would go to the opposite directions thus acting as decorations.[3] With time, the futou came to assume a variety of shapes and styles.[1]: 319
The futou was also introduced in both Unified Silla and Balhae[4]: 135 and continued to be worn by government officials until the late Joseon.[5]: 025
Terminology[edit]
The term putou/futou means "head scarf" or "head-cloth".[1]: 319
The term "feet" (simplified Chinese: 脚; traditional Chinese: 腳; pinyin: jiao; lit. 'feet') is used to describe the hard ribbons used in the futou.[6]: 11
History[edit]
Origins[edit]
There is varying opinions on the origins of the futou in the literature:
According to Chinese scholar Sun Ji in the Cong putou dao toujin《從幞頭到頭巾》, the futou first appeared in the 3rd century AD and was based on the headdress of a northern tribe.[1]: 319
Guzel Maitdinova proposed in 1990 that futou may have been developed from hats worn in ancient Central Asia and was brought in by the Turks from Sogdiana to Tokharistan to China by basing herself on information provided by Hsen Kuo (an 11th century Chinese annalist), "The Chinese clothes and hats, starting from the time of Northern Qi dynasty represents a barbarian costume".[7]: 54–55
It is also proposed by Yatsenko that the futou was part of the Chinese male costume.[7]: 54
Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties[edit]
In Northern Zhou, Emperor Wu wrapped his head with a futou, which consisted of 4 ribbons, 2 of which were tied at the back and left hanging down, while the other 2 were tied at the top of the head.[6]: 10 The futou made by Emperor Wu had to cover the entire head of its wearer and had two ribbons which would be tied behind the wearer's head.[6]: 10
Sui, Tang dynasty, and Five dynasties and ten kingdoms period[edit]
In the Tang dynasty, the futou was a turban with 2 corners in opposite direction which would be tied at the back of the its wearer's head and two corners would act as a form of decoration; but with time, the futou was further developed: a ribbon was attached to each corner of the turban to make it more decorative than it previous was. Moreover, by adding wire or silk strings inside the added ribbons, the futou could take different shapes and styles depending on the its wearer's liking.[3]
| Types of futou | Description | Pictures | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruanjiao putou
(simplified Chinese: 软脚幞頭; traditional Chinese: 軟腳幞頭; pinyin: ruǎnjiǎo fútóu; lit. 'putou with soft legs') |
A typical type of headwear in the Tang dynasty and was an important precursor to the futou developed in the succeeding dynasties. Sometimes, 2 or 4 narrow and long ribbons were tied to the back of the putou and were allowed to hang down freely down the back of its wearer[1]: 319 | 
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| Zheshang jin (Chinese: 折上巾; lit. 'kerchief folded upward'), | A type of form of ruanjiao putou which consisted of square-piece of cloth wrap around the head; the two ends of the fabric were then tied at the back at either side of the neck and were then wrapped around the head before being together above the forehead.[1]: 319 | 
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| Chuijiao Putou (Chinese: 垂腳襆頭) | A black hat with two drooped down wing-like flaps. | 
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Song dynasty[edit]
During the Song dynasty, the futou was popular,[3] and all classes of people ranging from commoners to emperors wore futou.[6]: 11 The futou could also be found with supports made out of wood, and therefore they could look like hats and caps of various styles.[3]
There were 5 main types of futou: "straight-feet" futou (also called "flat-feet") which was worn by people of all social classes; "bent-feet" futou, "cross-feet" futou (Chinese: 交脚幞頭), "upward" futou and "downwind" futou.[6]: 11
In the early Song dynasty, a type futou which was folded and tied at the front region of the head was worn by some people.[6]: 11 This type of futou was called the "front-folded scarf".[6]: 11
The "back-folded scarf", a type futou which would be bent backward, started to be worn after the Shaosheng period.[6]: 11
During imperial court banquets, Song court officials would put flowers on their futou; this is referred as Flower pinning.[6]: 11
| Types of futou | Description | Pictures | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhanjiao Putou (展角幞頭), lit. "spread-horn head cover" | It consisted of a black hat with two wing-like flaps which extends outward. The thin flaps were stiff and straight, and could extend up to almost a meter each. | 
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Ming dynasty[edit]
| Types of futou | Description | Pictures | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zhanjiao Putou (展角幞頭), lit. "spread-horn head cover" | It was based on the Song dynasty's zhanjiao putou; in the Ming dynasty, it was worn by Ming civil officials at court assemblies when they would present memorials or retirement notices to the Ming rulers.[1]: 100 |   
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| Zhanchi Futou/putou (展翅襆頭), also known as the wushamao (烏紗帽) | It is a headwear of Ming dynasty officials, consisting of a black hat with two wing-like flaps of thin, oval shaped boards on each side. According to the Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty (大明會典), ordinary citizens are not allowed to wear this headdress unless attending wedding ceremonies or events involving any noble families/officials. In modern China, wushamao is commonly used as a metaphor for officials and government posts. The Zhanchi Futou was also adopted by neighbouring countries. |  
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| Yishan guan (翼善冠; lit. "winged shan hat") | A type of futou made of lacquered silk which is formed on a wooden frame. At the back of the hat, there is a tall extension which is molded into 2 symmetrical bulbous shapes; there are 2 ribbons which are fastened to the hat's lower back and straight up extending just beyond the top protrusion.[1]: 102 |  
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Derivative and influences[edit]
Japan's Toyotomi Hideyoshi wearing a hat influenced by wushamao（烏紗帽）
Joseon's Sim Hwan-ji wearing a hat influenced by osamo（烏紗帽）
Vietnam's Trần Danh Án wearing an "ô sa mạo" hat (mũ cánh chuồn) influenced by wushamao（烏紗帽）
Emperor Khải Định (middle) and mandarins wearing "ô sa mạo" hats (mũ cánh chuồn) influenced by wushamao（烏紗帽）
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See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Burkus, Anne Gail (2010). Through a forest of chancellors: fugitive histories in Liu Yuan's "Lingyan ge", an illustrated book from seventeenth-century Suzhou. Yuan, active Liu. Cambridge, Mass. p. 319. ISBN 978-1-68417-050-0. OCLC 956711877.
- ^ Dale R. Johnson (2020). A Glossary of Words and Phrases in the Oral Performing and Dramatic Literatures of the Jin, Yuan, and Ming. University of Michigan Center for Chinese Studies. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-472-03823-7. OCLC 1229843176.
- ^ a b c d Zang, Yingchun; 臧迎春. (2003). Zhongguo chuan tong fu shi [Chinese traditional costumes and ornaments]. 李竹润., 王德华., 顾映晨. (Di 1 ban ed.). Beijing: Wu zhou chuan bo chu ban she. ISBN 7-5085-0279-5. OCLC 55895164.
- ^ A new history of Parhae. John B. Duncan, Tongbuga Yŏksa Chaedan, Tongbuga Yo⁺їksa Chaedan. Leiden: Global Oriental. 2012. ISBN 978-90-04-24299-9. OCLC 864678409.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Encyclopedia of Traditional Korean clothing. Vol. VI (English ed.). Seoul: National Folk Museum of Korea. 2021. ISBN 9788928902873.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Zhu, Ruixi; 朱瑞熙; Bangwei Zhang, Fusheng Liu, Chongbang Cai, Zengyu Wang, Peter Ditmanson, Bang Qian Zhu (2016). A social history of middle-period China: the Song, Liao, Western Xia and Jin dynasties (illustrated ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom. ISBN 978-1-107-16786-5. OCLC 953576345.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Stepanov, T︠S︡vetelin (2010). The Bulgars and the steppe empire in the early Middle Ages: the problem of the others. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill. ISBN 978-90-474-4452-7. OCLC 695988846.
External links[edit]
| Garments | |
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| Headwear (list) | |
| Accessories | |
