pu yao

hairpin

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

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The term "pu yao" refers to a type of scented hairpin popular in China during the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE). These hairpins were designed to sway when the wearer moved, hence their name, which translates to "shaking while walking". They were typically crafted from gilded bronze and silver and were adorned with filigree, often shaped into butterflies or flowers, sometimes embellished with pearls or small jade pieces.1

While the pao was a wide-sleeved robe worn by men and women in China from the Han dynasty to the Ming dynasty, it is a distinct item of clothing and not related to the pu yao hairpin. Chinese jewelry, in general, often served to adorn costumes rather than the person, with headdresses and hairpins being common forms of personal adornment.21

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jewelry
Chinese
They were called pu yao (“shaking while walking”) and were loosely made so as to sway when the wearer moved. Gilded bronze and silver were the principal materials. There are accounts of elaborate headdresses, some no doubt of the kind representing a complete phoenix such as are to…
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They were called pu yao (“shaking while walking”) and were loosely made so as to sway when the wearer moved. Gilded bronze and silver were the principal materials. There are accounts of elaborate headdresses, some no doubt of the kind representing a complete phoenix such as are to…
Read More