Types of Hanfu Headwear, Part 3: Mao (帽)

Welcome back to my mini-series on the types of hanfu headwear! Today I’ll be talking about the mao (帽), or hats.

Just like mao is the word commonly used to refer to hats in the modern day, mao in Ancient China tend to resemble today’s hats with their brims. Below are some common types of mao throughout history:

Damao (大帽)

Like its name, which literally means ‘big hat’, the damao is a wide-brimmed hat with a high crown (the part that covers the head). It’s derived from the bolimao (钹笠帽) in the Yuan Dynasty, which was primarily worn by the Mongol ruling class. During the Ming Dynasty, the damao became one of the main types of headwear for men; everyone, from the emperor to the lowest-ranking commoner, could wear it.

A damao in the Shandong Provincial Museum.

Weimao (帷帽)

The weimao consists of a brimmed hat with a short veil attached to conceal the wearer’s face. It traces its origins to the mili (幂篱), a full-body covering that resembles a burqa, which was adopted from the Rong and Yi cultures in the Central Plains region of China during the Sui Dynasty. In succeeding dynasties, particularly the Tang, the weimao would enjoy more popularity due to its less conservative nature. It was particularly popular among upper-class women, who would wear it while going on excursions.

Sketches of different types of mao. Numbers 3 through 6 are weimao.

Liuhetongyimao (六合统一帽)

This hat was invented during the Ming Dynasty by Zhu Yuanzhang, its first emperor. As such, its name reflects how he unified the country after an era of disunity: liuhe (六合) refers to the six directions—north, south, east, west, up, and down, representing the universe; tongyi (统一) means ‘to unite’. Fittingly, the hat itself consists of six sections of fabric, sewn together to make a complete article of clothing.

Portrait of a man wearing liuhetongyimao.

It saw continued use during the Qing Dynasty, where it became known as the guapimao (瓜皮帽), or the skullcap.

Hutoumao (虎头帽)

Children in Ancient China could wear hats as well! The hutoumao, or ‘tiger-head hat’, was worn exclusively by children from the Song Dynasty onwards. Much like its name implies, it’s shaped like the head of a tiger. In Chinese culture, tigers are known as the ‘king of all beasts’, so wearing something modeled after a tiger was believed to protect one from disasters and evil spirits.

Modern version of hutoumao.

Next time, I’ll be talking about different types of hairpins in hanfu!