The coiling method of combing and braiding involves dividing the hair into strands, tying them together, and then coiling them on top of the head or on the sides, which is called a “snail bun”. In the poem “Ning Palace Words”, there is a line “The snail bun exudes fragrance with morning makeup dark and strong,” this hairstyle became popular in the Tang Dynasty and can be seen in surviving Tang Dynasty paintings and murals. The princess Yongtai and the fairies in the Eighty-Seven Immortals Scroll all have similar hairstyles. This hairstyle is elegant and decorative, favored by empresses, princesses, and noble ladies, with many variations including single snail, double snail, lily bun, and coiled constant bun. [Ancient Hairstyle]
Ladies' portraits are a painting style featuring women from the upper-middle class of ancient Chinese society. This style first appeared in Tang Dynasty ceramics and paintings. Because the Tang Dynasty was prosperous and people lived abundantly, women were often depicted as plump. The classic attire for Tang Dynasty women was a high-waisted robe and skirt set. The high-waisted skirt elongates the legs when worn.
The twisting method of combing and braiding involves dividing the hair into several strands and twisting them like a rope, coiling them on top of the head or on the sides. According to the “Lan Picking Magazine”, after Empress Zhen entered the Wei Palace, there was a green snake in the palace that would coil its body into a bun shape in front of her every day when she was getting ready. She found it strange and imitated the snake's coiling pattern, creating a different hairstyle each day, known as the “spirit snake bun”. Fairies in the Eighty-Seven Immortals Scroll and the ladies in Tang Zhou Fang's fan painting also have this type of hairstyle. The variations of the twisting method include side twist, cross twist, and layered twist. The coiling method involves dividing the hair into strands, tying them together, and then coiling them on top of the head or on the sides, known as a “snail bun”. In the poem “Ning Palace Words”, there is a line “The snail bun exudes fragrance with morning makeup dark and strong,” this hairstyle became popular in the Tang Dynasty and can be seen in surviving Tang Dynasty paintings and murals. The princess Yongtai and the fairies in the Eighty-Seven Immortals Scroll all have similar hairstyles. This hairstyle is elegant and decorative, favored by empresses, princesses, and noble ladies, with many variations including single snail, double snail, lily bun, and coiled constant bun.
The coiling method involves dividing the hair into strands, tying them together, and then coiling them on top of the head or on the sides, known as a “snail bun”. In the poem “Ning Palace Words”, there is a line “The snail bun exudes fragrance with morning makeup dark and strong,” this hairstyle became popular in the Tang Dynasty and can be seen in surviving Tang Dynasty paintings and murals. The princess Yongtai and the fairies in the Eighty-Seven Immortals Scroll all have similar hairstyles. This hairstyle is elegant and decorative, favored by empresses, princesses, and noble ladies, with many variations including single snail, double snail, lily bun, and coiled constant bun.
The coiling method involves dividing the hair into strands, tying them together, and then coiling them on top of the head or on the sides, known as a “snail bun”. In the poem “Ning Palace Words”, there is a line “The snail bun exudes fragrance with morning makeup dark and strong,” this hairstyle became popular in the Tang Dynasty and can be seen in surviving Tang Dynasty paintings and murals. The princess Yongtai and the fairies in the Eighty-Seven Immortals Scroll all have similar hairstyles. This hairstyle is elegant and decorative, favored by empresses, princesses, and noble ladies, with many variations including single snail, double snail, lily bun, and coiled constant bun.
The twisting method involves dividing the hair into several strands and twisting them like a rope, coiling them on top of the head or on the sides. According to the “Lan Picking Magazine”, after Empress Zhen entered the Wei Palace, there was a green snake in the palace that would coil its body into a bun shape in front of her every day when she was getting ready. She found it strange and imitated the snake's coiling pattern, creating a different hairstyle each day, known as the “spirit snake bun”. Fairies in the Eighty-Seven Immortals Scroll and the ladies in Tang Zhou Fang's fan painting also have this type of hairstyle. The variations of the twisting method include side twist, cross twist, and layered twist. The coiling method involves dividing the hair into strands, tying them together, and then coiling them on top of the head or on the sides, known as a “snail bun”. In the poem “Ning Palace Words”, there is a line “The snail bun exudes fragrance with morning makeup dark and strong,” this hairstyle became popular in the Tang Dynasty and can be seen in surviving Tang Dynasty paintings and murals. The princess Yongtai and the fairies in the Eighty-Seven Immortals Scroll all have similar hairstyles. This hairstyle is elegant and decorative, favored by empresses, princesses, and noble ladies, with many variations including single snail, double snail, lily bun, and coiled constant bun.
The coiling method involves dividing the hair into strands, tying them together, and then coiling them on top of the head or on the sides, known as a “snail bun”. In the poem “Ning Palace Words”, there is a line “The snail bun exudes fragrance with morning makeup dark and strong,” this hairstyle became popular in the Tang Dynasty and can be seen in surviving Tang Dynasty paintings and murals. The princess Yongtai and the fairies in the Eighty-Seven Immortals Scroll all have similar hairstyles. This hairstyle is elegant and decorative, favored by empresses, princesses, and noble ladies, with many variations including single snail, double snail, lily bun, and coiled constant bun.
This hairstyle can be seen in Tang Dynasty paintings, sculptures, and murals. In the mural of Princess Yongtai Li Huixian, granddaughter of Wu Zetian, many coiled snail buns can be found. According to records, women in Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty favored the coiled constant bun (snail bun), which was tall and did not fall apart. When it was popular in Chang'an, this “snail bun” was mainly made in a coiling form, by dividing the hair into strands with silk threads, tying them together, and using weaving, coiling, and layering techniques to coil the bun into a snail shape, placed on top of the head, on the sides, or on the forehead and back of the head, or coiled into various forms.
The coiling method involves dividing the hair into strands, tying them together, and then coiling them on top of the head or on the sides, known as a “snail bun”. In the poem “Ning Palace Words”, there is a line “The snail bun exudes fragrance with morning makeup dark and strong,” this hairstyle became popular in the Tang Dynasty and can be seen in surviving Tang Dynasty paintings and murals. The princess Yongtai and the fairies in the Eighty-Seven Immortals Scroll all have similar hairstyles. This hairstyle is elegant and decorative, favored by empresses, princesses, and noble ladies, with many variations including single snail, double snail, lily bun, and coiled constant bun. [Ancient Hairstyle] Knotting Style
Ladies' paintings are not just about a theme; as traditional paintings, they have deep cultural backgrounds and reflect the cultural standards and aesthetic levels of an era. They are an art form that elevates real beauty to a poetic realm, much like traditional Chinese drama, which uses ancient costumes and tunes to perform timeless poetry and stories. In fact, whether painted in ancient costume or modern attire, the key to ladies' paintings lies in whether they express the artist's emotions, rather than accurately depicting the poetic theme.