Description (Physical description)
Highly ornate bridal headdress made of metal beads and wire, with gold base. Covered with kingfisher feathers, variously coloured beads and pieces of mirrored glass. Kept in square, wooden box (damaged), inscribed with owner' s name
Event Date
Author: maa

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Description (Labels & Markings)
Inscription on box label is that of a royal jeweller: "We are specialized in making all kinds of headdresses in gold and silver gilding, and we stock all kinds of gold plated jewelleries. We are at [Chinese character] lane, north of [Chinese character] road, outside the [Chinese character] gateway."
Event Date
Author: rachel hand

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Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for Z 36318: 'CHINA. Unprovenanced. Highly ornate headdress. Decorated with kingfisher feathers, various coloured beads, mirrored glass and a gold base. In damaged oriental box. Donor unknown.'
'Refer to Card No. 1911 E. 104.'
Event Date
Author: Mark Elliott

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Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for E 1911.104 [Z 36318]: 'A BRIDAL HEADDRESS, in a square wooden box with owner's name incised, made of metal bands and wire, covered with blue kingfisher feathers and glass bead pendants, egrets etc. (h. 8".5).'
Event Date
Author: Mark Elliott

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Context (Acquisition Details)
Registered as E 1911.104 (AR 1911.767) and noted as " A bridal headdress, in a square, wooden box with owner's name incised. Made of metal beads and wire, covered with blue kingfisher feathers and glass bead pendants and egrets etc, pieces of mirrored glass. Kept in square, wooden box (damaged), inscribed with owner's name
'Bt Franck, London" with a donation to the Museums Accession Fund by 'John Venn, Sc. D., F,R.S.'
Event Date 1911
Author: Mark Elliott

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Context (Acquisition Details)
Catalogue card for E 1911.104 [Z 36318]: 'Purchased London. John Venn's donation.'
Event Date 1911
Author: Mark Elliott

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Context (References)
Annual Report: 'A bridal head-dress, in a square wooden box with owner's name incised, made of metal bands and wire, covered with blue kingfisher feathers and glass bead pendants, egrets, etc. (h. 7" 5). John Venn, Sc.D., F.R.S.'
(Twenty-Eighth Annual Report of the Antiquarian Committee to the Senate and Lists of Accession for the years 1910, 1911, 1912 (April 30, 1914), p.19.)
Event Date 30/4/1914
Author: maa

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Context (Amendments / updates)
Pencil note on catalogue card for E 1911.104 [Z 36318]: 'Waiting to have a box made for it. Jul. '82.'
Event Date 7/1982
Author: Mark Elliott

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Context (Amendments / updates)
This artefact was identified by Lucia Szeto (former secretary in Cambridge' s Social Anthropology dept) and her mother, 1983. Lucia' s father lived in the former residence of a royal uncle outside Peking [Beijing] palace, and taught in a religious institution belonging to the sect to whom this part of the former royal residence was sold. Lucia provided information on the style and historical context of the headdress (see object description).
Event Date 1983
Author: rachel hand

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Context (Related Documents)
Also accessioned as Z 42505.1-2 in April 1986 and noted as 'Elaborate headdress of small, white beads, gilt and kingfisher feathers, based on metal frame. Pre Manchu (19th century) style. Decoration includes depictions of various Chinese characters and mythological creatures, each inlaid with kingfisher feathers. Phoenix, with long dangling decoration, set on either side, at top of headdress. Dragon in centre, top, with four characters set on either side (one missing on left-hand side). Characters read something along the lines of " ?An official gift" and " by order of the King in the name of God" . Below dragon, moon set one side and sun on the other. Smaller phoenixes hang from bottom, all round border, each holding dangling decorations. The headdress appears to have been ordered by the emperor for a very high ranking lady, possibly the queen or a leading concubine. Only the queen was allowed to wear the phoenix upon her head, just as only the king was allowed to wear the dragon. One phoenix could, perhaps, signify a leading concubine. Kept in wooden box. Inscription on box lid reads, " In the name of God [ie. the emperor]" , these being the first words of greeting by a messenger to the recipient of a royal gift.
Event Date 1986
Author: rachel hand

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Description (Physical description)
Also accessioned as Z 42505.1-2 and noted on catalogue card: 'Elaborate bead, gilt and turquoise feather headdress.
See note re. identification by Lucia Szeto attached to special box. Zedded April 86.'
Event Date 1986
Author: rachel hand

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Context (Amendments / updates)
Allocated Z number in April 1986.
Event Date 4/1986
Author: Guey-Mei Hsu

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Context (Display)
On display in the Maudslay Hall, CUMAA, from 1990 as Z 42505.1-2, in display case 64-65.
Label reads: "11. Elaborate Headdress and Lacquered box. Headdress made with the blue feathers of the king-fisher, pre-Manchu style (19th - early 20th century). The headdress appears to have been ordered by the emperor for a very high-ranking lady, possibly the queen, or a leading concubine. Only the queen was allowed to wear the phoenix on her head (as only the king was allowed to wear the dragon).
The inscription on the box lid reads: 'In the name of God' (i.e. the Emperor). This was the first word of greeting by a messenger to the recipient of a royal gift. Chinese. Peking, China, Z 42505.'
Event Date 1990
Author: rachel hand

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Context (Amendments / updates)
'The characters are: right side "奉天誥命". And the left ones are "(?)官誥封" (I can only see 3 characters but I "guess" it might be symmetrical, so might be 4 characters as on the right side.
Below is 日 (sun) (right) and 月(moon) (left)
In the top middle in the house is "聖旨", which means the emperor's permission.
A similar crown is in the Museum of Scotland and has the same characters
The characters on the wooden box, "奉天誥命"-[Fèngtiān gàomìng] which means the permission from the god and for high level officer wife.'
Details from Yi Shiuan (Cherry) Wu, Curator, The Hairpin Museum, Taiwan following a visit to MAA and being sent images of the characters. (Rachel Hand, 30/07/2018).
Event Date 30/7/2007
Author: maa

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Context (Amendments / updates)
Updated display label in the Maudslay Gallery, probably since 2012, reads, '15 Feng Guan (Phoenix headdress) / A lavish headdress made with iridescent blue kingfisher feathers, an artform called tian-tsui. The feng guan was worn by a noble woman, perhaps a senior Imperial concubine. It is decorated with a phoenix, a dragon and Chinese characters saying it is a gift from the Emperor.'

For the lacquered box (.2), the display label reads, '16 Qi He (lacquered box) / The box in which the headdress came is inscribed:"In the name of God' (i.e. the Emperor). This was the first word of greeting by a messenger to the recipient of a royal gift.'
Event Date 2012
Author: Guey-Mei Hsu

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Context (Display)
On display in Case 26 (iridescence) in Colour: Art, Science & Power, LKS Gallery, MAA 26 July 2022 - 23 April 2023.
Event Date 26/7/2022
Author: rachel hand

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Context (Auction / Sale)
The vendor "Franck" is Solomon Mark Franck, an art dealer who operated as S.M. Frack and So and S.M. Franck and Co.
Event Date 21/12/2023
Author: rachel hand

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Description (Physical description)
Duplicate record Z 42505.1-2 noted 'Pre Manchu elaborate headdress of small, white beads, gilt and kingfisher feathers. Decoration includes depictions of Chinese characters and mythological creatures, including the phoenix, and a dragon. The headdress appears to have been ordered by the emperor for a very high ranking lady, possibly the queen or a leading concubine.'
Event Date 21/12/2023
Author: rachel hand

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Conservation (Remedial)
CON.2022.5340 | Remedial
Event Date 7/7/2025
Author: Guey-Mei Hsu

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Conservation (Surface Clean)
CON.2025.6220 | Surface Clean
Event Date 7/7/2025
Author: Stephanie De Roemer