In the late Tang Dynasty, the trend of women styling high topknots led to the popularity of hair combs. Initially, women would insert a single comb in front of their topknots, adorned with exquisitely engraved floral patterns. Over time, the number of combs being inserted increased, with two combs placed vertically, one above the other. By the late Tang Dynasty, women in formal attire would place multiple sets of combs both in front and on the sides of their topknots. “Layers of jade cicadas and golden birds, green hairpins towering amidst lush black hair. Combs fall as they dance in the spring breeze, only to be replaced upon return.” This line vividly depicts the elegance of Tang Dynasty women's hairstyles and the complexity of the hair accessories used.
Women's topknots could be styled in various ways, with married women wearing elaborate hairstyles adorned with pearls, hairpins, and other accessories. Side adornments called “bobo” were also worn, along with veils and head coverings. The tradition of inserting combs into hair dates back to the Han Dynasty. Women in the Southern Dynasties enjoyed decorating their topknots with combs. In the Tang Dynasty, it became fashionable for women to insert multiple hairpins and combs. During the Northern Song Dynasty, women in the imperial court often wore long white horn combs in their decorative headdresses, a practice that later spread to the common people, leading to the trend of high topknots adorned with combs. A line from a Song Dynasty poem reads: “Hairstyles resembling clouds.” In the Ming Dynasty, women's formal attire included numerous hairpins and combs. It was also customary for Han women to wear silk flowers, referred to as “jeweled buns adorned with flowers.” Empress Dowager Kong of the Ming Dynasty had a flower plantation in Dazhuang village dedicated to providing flowers for the palace throughout the year. The technique of filigree inlay, a unique craft of the Han people, reached its peak during the Ming Dynasty, exemplified by the skills of Chengdu silver filigree and Beijing filigree inlay artisans.
The practice of inserting combs into hair became popular in the Tang Dynasty, with bone combs featuring trapezoidal and arch-shaped designs, adorned with patterns of peonies, wave motifs, and square wins, conveying people's aspirations for a better life. At this point, combs had become decorative items, paired with hairpins for women's grooming. The Tang Dynasty's Jade Flower-Bird Patterned Comb image source: network, please delete if infringing. Gilt Floral Patterned Silver Comb of the Tang Dynasty image source: network, please delete if infringing. The comb-inserting trend depicted in “The Silk Pounders” image source: network, please delete if infringing. The comb-inserting trend depicted in “The Silk Pounders” image source: network, please delete if infringing. The comb-inserting trend depicted in “The Silk Pounders” image source: network, please delete if infringing.
The tradition of inserting combs into hair dates back to the Han Dynasty. Women in the Southern Dynasties enjoyed decorating their topknots with combs. In the Tang Dynasty, it became fashionable for women to insert multiple hairpins and combs. During the Northern Song Dynasty, women in the imperial court often wore long white horn combs in their decorative headdresses, a practice that later spread to the common people, leading to the trend of high topknots adorned with combs. A line from a Song Dynasty poem reads: “Hairstyles resembling clouds.” In the Ming Dynasty, women's formal attire included numerous hairpins and combs. It was also customary for Han women to wear silk flowers, referred to as “jeweled buns adorned with flowers.” Empress Dowager Kong of the Ming Dynasty had a flower plantation in Dazhuang village dedicated to providing flowers for the palace throughout the year. The technique of filigree inlay, a unique craft of the Han people, reached its peak during the Ming Dynasty, exemplified by the skills of Chengdu silver filigree and Beijing filigree inlay artisans [70].
Comb: The term “comb” refers to both combs and rakes. The part of the comb without teeth is called the back, while the part with teeth is called the rake. There are two types of teeth: sparse ones for combing hair and dense ones for cleaning dirt out of the hair. Both can be used as hair decorations to fix and embellish hairstyles. The custom of women inserting combs into their topknots has a long history, serving both functional and ornamental purposes. Examples include white jade combs from the Han Dynasty, yellow jade combs with coiled dragons from the Han Dynasty, and combs from the Han Dynasty.
In addition to crown ornaments, combs and rakes became new favorites for enhancing one's appearance. Empress Dowager Huairui's “Palace Poem” describes silver rakes being inserted densely into the topknot. Bai Juyi's “Pipa Xing” mentions “jade combs and silver rakes” being broken during a performance. Combs and rakes, originally daily necessities, evolved into exquisite jewelry made from precious materials and finely crafted. An important piece of evidence is the gold comb back unearthed in 1970 from the Hejiacun hoard in Shaanxi. Poet Wang Jian's “Palace Poem” says: “Layers of jade cicadas and golden birds, green hairpins towering amidst lush black hair. Combs fall as they dance in the spring breeze, only to be replaced upon return.” This line vividly depicts the elegance of Tang Dynasty women's hairstyles and the complexity of the hair accessories used. Images of women inserting combs can be found in artworks like “The Silk Pounders” and “Palace Music.”
In the late Tang Dynasty, the trend of women styling high topknots led to the popularity of hair combs. Initially, women would insert a single comb in front of their topknots, adorned with exquisitely engraved floral patterns. Over time, the number of combs being inserted increased, with two combs placed vertically, one above the other. By the late Tang Dynasty, women in formal attire would place multiple sets of combs both in front and on the sides of their topknots. “Layers of jade cicadas and golden birds, green hairpins towering amidst lush black hair. Combs fall as they dance in the spring breeze, only to be replaced upon return.” This line vividly depicts the elegance of Tang Dynasty women's hairstyles and the complexity of the hair accessories used. The image of women's topknots adorned with multiple combs can be seen in “The Silk Pounders.” A physical example is the gold-plated floral-patterned silver comb from the Tang Dynasty, housed in the University of Hong Kong Museum.
It was fashionable for women in the Tang Dynasty to insert multiple hairpins and combs. During the Northern Song Dynasty, women in the imperial court often wore long white horn combs in their decorative headdresses, a practice that later spread to the common people, leading to the trend of high topknots adorned with combs. A line from a Song Dynasty poem reads: “Hairstyles resembling clouds.” In the Ming Dynasty, women's formal attire included numerous hairpins and combs. It was also customary for Han women to wear silk flowers, referred to as “jeweled buns adorned with flowers.” Empress Dowager Kong of the Ming Dynasty had a flower plantation in Dazhuang village dedicated to providing flowers for the palace throughout the year. The technique of filigree inlay, a unique craft of the Han people, reached its peak during the Ming Dynasty, exemplified by the skills of Chengdu silver filigree and Beijing filigree inlay artisans.
Combs and rakes were originally everyday tools for grooming hair, with sparse teeth called “combs” and dense teeth called “rakes.” These items were essential for ancient people, especially women, who kept them handy at all times. Inserting combs into the hair not only made it convenient to groom but also added a distinctive touch to the hairstyle. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, when the custom of inserting combs was at its peak, there were various insertion methods such as vertical, horizontal, diagonal, inverted, and more, allowing for creative and flexible styling. Tang Dynasty poet Yuan Zhen's “Hate Makeup Complete” includes the line “Full head adorned with small combs, round dots applied to the face,” depicting the intricate details of women's hairstyles. Meng Yuanlao's “Dream of Tokyo” records that women in the capital Bianjing during the Northern Song Dynasty often wore multiple long white horn combs in their high headdresses, so large that they interfered with riding in carriages and walking. The Song Dynasty government often viewed high combs as a form of “improper attire” and banned the practice several times. Lines such as “Rhinoceros comb inserted diagonally with half-exposed hair” and “Green jade rake supporting drooping hair” reflect the prevalence of combs and rakes in women's headwear during the Song Dynasty, with terms like “jade comb” and “golden rake” directly referring to women.
Combs: Prior to the Spring and Autumn Period, regardless of their intricate shapes and decorations, combs generally had a consistent straight vertical shape with a high handle and narrow cross-section, rarely square or flat. From the Warring States period to the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, combs and rakes were primarily made of bamboo and wood, with wood being the most common material. Combs typically had an oval shape resembling a horseshoe. Since ancient times, the Chinese have placed great importance on etiquette and personal grooming, making combs and rakes essential items. Especially for women, these items were always within reach, eventually leading to the custom of inserting combs into their hair. Based on available historical data, our ancestors had the habit of inserting combs into their hair as early as four thousand years ago. Although not entirely for decorative purposes (some were related to religious practices or burial customs), this custom laid the foundation for later traditions.