Affecting Grandiosity: Manchuness and the Liangbatou Hairdo-Turned-Headpiece Circa 1870s–1930s

Abstract

Rather than a timeless feature of Manchu women’s “traditional” dress as commonly understood, Gary Wang’s essay reveals that the exaggerated, geometric liangbatou headdress did not fully evolve until the early twentieth century, during the twilight of the Qing dynasty and Early Republican period (1910s–1930s). It was used by Empress Dowager Cixi to construct a spectacle of Manchu identity. The liangbatou also captured popular Chinese as well as foreign attention as a magnificently expressive accessory, unlike men’s queues, which became an object of international ridicule. This essay dissects the structure of the liangbatou , its intricacy, and variety, to show that it was by no means a haphazard invention. With precursors in the earlier period of the Qing, the liangbatou nevertheless did not become closely identified with Manchuness until Cixi and late Qing court ladies began to be depicted and photographed wearing it. Cixi’s court ladies, in particular, frequently this headdress at diplomatic functions. The performative aspect of donning the liangbatou , which partly derived from theatrical representations of non-Han ethnicities, helped strengthen the Manchu ties to historical conquest groups. Adding to this was the hope of “re-imperializing” the waning power of the court.