| Chaozhu | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Chinese | 朝珠 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | Court beads | ||||||
| |||||||
| English name | |||||||
| English | Mandarin necklace/ Court necklace | ||||||
Chaozhu (Chinese: 朝珠; pinyin: Cháozhū), also known as Court necklace and Mandarin necklaces in English,[1] is a type of necklace worn as an essential element of the Qing dynasty Court clothing uniform (mostly worn in the formal and semi-formal court attire).[2][1] Chaozhu were worn by the Qing dynasty Emperors and members of the Imperial family,[3] by imperial civil officials from the 1st to the 5th rank and the military official above the 4th rank.[1][4]: 52
They were worn by men and women; men wore one chaozhu and only women of high-ranking status were allowed to wear triple chaozhu (one at the neck and two diagonally over each shoulder and underarms).[1][4]: 52 The chaozhu was used an indicator of social ranking[1] and seasons;[2] they were also practical as it could be used for mathematical calculations in the absence of an abacus.[3]
Chaozu originated from a Buddhist rosary sent in 1643 by the Dalai Lama to Emperor Shunzhi;[3] it was then redesigned by the Manchu to include new elements.[1] The chaozu is based on the 108-beaded Buddhist rosary;[4]: 52 it however shifted from being a religious object to being a symbol of social status while only maintaining some liturgic function.[1] The chaozhu is composed of flat cords, long string of beads various materials (wood, precious stones, and sometimes pearls and glass) and pendants or filigree which could also be made of precious stones or precious metal.[1][2][5][6]
- ^ a b c d e f g h Heroldová, Helena (2019-11-01). "Court Beads: Manchu Rank Symbols in the Náprstek Museum". Annals of the Náprstek Museum. 40 (2): 95–106. doi:10.2478/anpm-2019-0017. ISSN 2533-5685.
- ^ a b c "Qing court necklace with beads". www.roots.gov.sg. 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
- ^ a b c Garrett, Valery M. (2007). Chinese dress : from the Qing Dynasty to the Present. Tokyo: Tuttle Pub. ISBN 978-0-8048-3663-0. OCLC 154701513.
- ^ a b c Vollmer, John E. (2007). Dressed to rule : 18th century court attire in the Mactaggart Art Collection. Mactaggart Art Collection. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press. ISBN 978-1-55195-705-0. OCLC 680510577.
- ^ "Eastern Pearl Court Beads|The Palace Museum". The Palace Museum. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
- ^ "Court beads (Chaozhu) from the 18th century". collection.maas.museum. Retrieved 2022-03-13.