Pibian Cap

Ming society strictly regulated the use of hats and clothing. The lowest classes could only wear a green cloth wrapped around their heads, while commoners could wear a mesh cap (a hair net of black string, yarn, or brown silk) or skullcap. Officials were required to wear a Wusha (black gauze) cap or Sifang Pingding (square) cap, while Pibian (leather) caps were reserved for nobles on ceremonial occasions. In earlier times, Pibian caps were made from buckskin, but in Ming times they were made from black yarn covering a bamboo frame. Each seam was stitched with beads of five colors. The emperor's Pibian cap had 12 seams, while princes' caps had 9.

When Prince Zhuang's tomb was opened, his Pibian cap had deteriorated, leaving only 134 gold and jade beads. This Pibian is a reconstruction based on the cap found in the tomb of Prince Huang of Lu.