Ⅰ. Introduction

Apart from the round – collared robe, the most frequently seen and versatile fashion item for men in the Tang Dynasty was the Futou.

The Futou (幞头) was a soft gauze scarf used to wrap the head. It originated in the Han Dynasty. Since the gauze used for the Futou was usually black – blue, it was also called “乌纱 (乌 for black and 纱 for gauze)”, commonly known as the “乌纱帽 (black gauze cap)”.

The picture below shows a portrait of Emperor Zhezong Zhaoxu (赵煦), who was the seventh emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty. The seated portrait of Zhezong is similar to most existing portraits of Song Dynasty emperors, wearing a round-necked red shirt, a black gauze hat, and court shoes, sitting sideways on a chair with a backrest.

The original meaning of “Fu” is similar to “Ze”, which is a head – wrapping cloth. In terms of wearing methods, it is generally divided into “soft wrapping” and “hard wrapping”.

• “Soft wrapping” means directly wrapping the cloth around the head, closely conforming to the shape of the head.
• “Hard wrapping” involves first wearing a hat base, and then wrapping the head – wrapping cloth over it. This way, the basic shape of the hat base can be formed. The shape of the wrapping cloth also varied slightly in different periods.

Futou was extremely popular in the Tang Dynasty, yet it wasn’t a one – size – fits – all headwear. For instance, during grand ceremonies, the emperor would wear the Upswept – foot Futou (朝天冠), while ministers would don hats like the Jinxian Crown (进贤冠). Ordinary officials and common people sometimes wore pointed felt hats in their daily lives.

The two tails of the Futou initially resembled straps that hung naturally down to the neck or even past the shoulders. Over time, they gradually became shorter and were bent upwards and inserted into the knot at the back of the head. This type was called the Soft – foot Futou. After the mid – Tang Dynasty, the tails of the Futou, either round or broad, were like stiff wings that slightly warp (similar to the wings of a cicada). There seemed to be silk strings inside to make them elastic, and this was known as the Hard – foot Futou.

Men in Chang’an all wore Futou. In the early days, a piece of silk gauze was wrapped around the head to form the Futou, which was rather low – lying. Later, a kind of inner cap (made of materials like paulownia wood, silk, kudzu, rattan, or leather) was added beneath the Futou. This inner cap was like a false bun, ensuring that the Futou maintained a fixed shape. After the mid – Tang Dynasty, it gradually evolved into a standardized hat.

Ⅱ. Styles of Futou

The names of Futou are determined according to their evolving styles. During the Zhenguan period, the top of the Futou was low and flat, known as “Ping – style Futou”. During the reigns of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu Zetian, the top part was heightened and divided into two lobes. In the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, the top was round and large, tilting forward towards the forehead. All these were made of soft silk gauze and wrapped on – the – spot.

1. Shunfeng Futou (顺风幞头)

The Shunfeng Futou is also a type of Hard – foot Futou. Its two feet are round, square, banana – leaf – shaped, or oval. The two feet on the left and right slightly converge backward, giving the impression of facing the wind, thus it is called Shunfeng Futou.

2. Ping – style Futou (平式幞头)

The Ping – style Futou is a soft – wrapped towel – like style. The inner cap on the top is relatively low and flat, also known as “Pingtou Xiaoyang”. It was worn by ordinary scholars, common people, and officials during their leisure time.

3. Jie – style Futou (结式幞头)

The Jie – style Futou is also a soft – wrapped towel – like style. An additional inner cap was added on the Futou. Two of its feet were tied in front of the head in the shape of a concentric knot, and the other two feet were tied behind the head in reverse. This style was favored by military officers and strong men.

4. Soft – foot Futou (软脚幞头) 

For the Soft – foot Futou, an “inner cap” (i.e., a false hairpiece) or a “wooden headband” is placed underneath the Futou cloth to make the shape of the Futou smooth and fixed. The two ends of the Futou cloth are thickened and painted, forming the soft feet, which hang down flat. When the wearer moves, they flutter gracefully, making this style popular among civil officials and scholars.

5. Cross – foot Futou (交脚幞头)

The Cross – foot Futou has its two feet facing upwards and crossing each other. They can cross either in front or at the back. This style is commonly seen on guards of honor, as well as singers, dancers, and musicians.

6. Round – top Straight – foot Futou (圆顶直脚幞头)

This is a type of hard – wrapped Futou. A “wooden headband” is placed in front of the forehead, and then the Futou cloth is wrapped around it. It can also be made with a vine – grass inner frame, covered with black gauze on the outside and painted. Its two straight feet are made of woven iron wire, covered with painted gauze, and extended horizontally to the left and right. It was used by court officials and local administrators, and was adopted in the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties.

7. Square – top Right – angle Futou (方顶直角幞头)

8. Square – top Hard – shell Futou (方顶硬壳幞头)

This is a hard – wrapped headgear. An inner hard shell is woven with iron wire or vine grass, then pasted with silk or gauze and painted with black lacquer. The shape is square and raised. The two side feet are made of iron wire, covered with painted gauze, and extend horizontally to the sides or tilt upwards. This style was favored by Song – dynasty officials, and emperors of the Song Dynasty also often wore it. However, their two feet were straight and long, extending horizontally to the left and right, reaching up to two feet in length.

9. Upswept – foot Futou (朝天幞头)

The Upswept – foot Futou, features two upward – curving flaps. As stated in Volume 3 of “云麓漫钞” by Zhao Yanwei (赵彦卫), “During the Five Dynasties, most emperors donned the Upswept – foot Futou with its two flaps curving upwards.” Evidently, this particular style of Futou was likely reserved exclusively for the most exalted emperors. What they wore was not merely a hat, but a symbol of supreme status!

All in all, types with larger – sized extensions such as right – angled and flat – ended ones were used by court ministers. Curved – ended and cross – angled ones were for servants, runners, and the like. Rolled – ended and wing – like angled ones were mostly worn by guards of honor, musicians, and those in miscellaneous entertainment positions. The Shunfeng Futou was more commonly seen on commoners. Evidently, there were clear distinctions based on social status.

Ⅲ. Legend

Regarding the origin of the “Futou” in the Song Dynasty, there is a legend that Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin (赵匡胤), invented it to prevent ministers from whispering to each other during court sessions. However, this claim lacks solid historical evidence. Moreover, in the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods before Emperor Taizu, various exaggerated shapes of Futou extensions were already widely popular. This included straight, extended ends that were already longer than the shoulders, similar to those in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Summary

The seemingly simple Futou actually comes in so many different forms. Different occasions and groups of people used different headgears. In ancient China, clothing and headgear were of equal importance. It was crucial to choose the appropriate headgear according to the occasion.