In the period drama The Palm (《掌心》), actress Xuan Lu, who plays the character Danxin (丹心), wears a hairband on her head. Netizens joked, “Isn’t this exactly the same as our modern sports headbands? Is Danxin about to go play ball? Could this be a blessing for those with a high hairline?”

I. What is a Mo’e

The term “mo (抹)” means to bind or wrap. A mo’e (抹额) is an ornament made by folding or cutting materials like silk, brocade, etc. into strips and wrapping them around the forehead. It can be worn by both men and women. During the Tang Dynasty, mo’es were relatively wide, and their function was similar to our modern “sports headbands”.

The history of mo’es can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. At that time, warriors used them to tie up their hair for easier combat. In the Tang Dynasty, mo’es were quite wide and served a function similar to today’s sports headbands. As recorded in “New Book of Tang – Records of Food and Goods” (《新唐书·食货志》): “Chengfu (成甫) further expanded his poem into ten stanzas of lyrics. He stood there wearing a green robe with a slit at the back, a half – length brocade sleeve, and a red mo’e…” By the Ming Dynasty, mo’es had become a very popular head ornament. Women, whether in the imperial court or among the common people, often wore them. In the Qing Dynasty, mo’es were especially popular among Manchu women and gradually evolved into a clothing accessory with ethnic characteristics.

II. What Can a Mo’e Do

The mo’e has two main functions. One is for differentiating etiquette and status. For example, from the Qin Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, there was the so – called “military mo’e (军容抹额)”. Mo’es were used as forehead ornaments to distinguish the identities of military or ceremonial personnel. The other function is for matching and practical use, especially among women. For instance, in the Yuan Dynasty, women from ordinary families liked to wear mo’es to prevent their hair buns from coming loose, which was convenient for exercise and work.

Moreover, in some situations like when a woman is in the confinement period after giving birth, wearing a mo’e can keep the head warm and protected from the cold. Additionally, during the Tang Dynasty, when women dressed in men’s clothing, they would also wear mo’es as an accessory in their outfits. These mo’es were decorated with popular patterns such as the pearl – linked pattern.

Most of the images we see nowadays are of women wearing men’s round – collared robes and mo’es. At this time, the mo’e is equivalent to the “headscarf” in men’s clothing, but women simplified its use. Similarly, the women’s xiexie belt (蹀躞带, a type of belt with hanging part) was also for decoration and did not carry any utensils. Regarding the way to wear a mo’e, generally, it is advisable to cover half of the forehead. If it is worn too high, it won’t be able to play the role of protecting the forehead.

When it comes to men wearing mo’es, it was commonly seen in the costumes of guards and performers in the Tang Dynasty. They wore the mo’e outside the futou (a kind of headgear at that time) and tied a knot in the middle of the front of the futou. The mo’es could be red or white. The appearance of white mo’es had nothing to do with funerals (funerals used natural – colored hemp). Firstly, white was associated with purity and simplicity. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, people had admired the trend of purity. Naturally, white mo’es, which symbolized “purity”, were very popular among scholars. Additionally, the popularity of white mo’es might also be related to the fact that students at the Imperial College in the Jin Dynasty wore white gauze scarves. According to “The Book of Sui – Records of Etiquette” (《隋书·礼仪志》): “Scarves, worn by students at the Imperial College, were made of white gauze.” In the Song Dynasty, students at the Imperial College also wore white ko – hemp scarves. Zhou Qian (周迁) of the Liang Dynasty also said, “Nowadays, students at the Imperial College wear them, made of white gauze.” Since white gauze scarves were worn by students at the Imperial College, wearing a white mo’e also carried the meaning of indicating knowledge and culture. So, it had the same function as our modern way of flaunting “intellectuals”.

Mo’es were made from a variety of materials, usually including silk, satin, cotton, and so on. Wealthy families would use brocade and embroider delicate patterns on them, such as flowers, birds, and auspicious designs. They would also inlay precious ornaments like pearls and gemstones to show their status and taste. Mo’es in ordinary families were mostly made of plain – colored cotton, which were more simple.

During the Song Dynasty, a kind of “wrapped headscarf” similar to the mo’e was popular among women. After the Song Dynasty, especially during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, mo’es became a fashion for people of all social classes. In some classic film and television works like Dream of the Red Chamber, we often see mo’es that are narrower and more shaped compared to those in the Tang Dynasty. They were mostly made with satin or brocade as the base and decorated with some pearls, gemstones, or metal flower pieces. The shapes of mo’es included pointed – angle, arc – shaped, and straight, showing different styles of mo’e combinations.

Summary

Originally, mo’es were mainly used to tie up hair and keep warm, protecting the forehead from the cold. Later on, it became more of a decorative headpiece. It could enhance a woman’s facial features, display different styles and temperaments, and reflect the wearer’s identity, social status, and aesthetic sense.

Looking at it today, there is a connection between mo’es and modern headbands. In our daily lives, we can wear headbands to keep warm, and when doing outdoor sports, we wear them to prevent our hair from getting messy. In fact, these functions are the same as those of the ancient mo’es. The only difference is that in the past, they used cloth strips with long laces, while now, with modern technology, elastic bands like rubber bands are added to make stretchy versions… So, there are indeed traces of the past in our modern – day lives and fashion choices!