The Manchu headdress or dian zi was given to the Manchester Museum by Mrs Gertrude Wood-Jones in 1939. She was the wife of Frederic Wood-Jones FRS (1879-1954), one of the founders of modern physical anthropology. His work took the couple from England to Australia and China.
In 1932-3 Frederic was temporary director of anatomy at the Peking Beijing Union Medical College. It's assumed the headdress was acquired at this time.
The decoration of this stunning headdress or dian zi consists of gemstones, pearls, coral and enamel work representing flowers, leaves and butterflies. The blue colour comes from inlaid kingfisher feathers which during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), were used exclusively by the imperial court and wealthy families. The headdress was worn by noble ladies at court for special occasions such as weddings, birthday ceremonies & traditional festivals. The impact of the headdress was further enhanced by inserting natural flowers and hairpins.
In 1938, Frederic Wood-Jones became Chair of Anatomy at the University of Manchester. He and his wife settled in Manchester and presented this and other objects from their private collection to the museum. Gertrude Wood-Jones also donated to the Manchester Museum collection some equally beautiful accessories that match with the headdress . These will feature in the new Lee Kai Hung Chinese Culture Gallery opening in 2022 as part of Manchester Museum Hello Future transformation.
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