Have you ever thought that Huadian (花钿) were merely painted on? Sharp - eyed netizens have discovered that the Huadian in the drama 'Guo Se Fang Hua' are actually three - dimensional. Compared to painted ones, these gemstone Huadian showcase more intricate details and textures.
To begin with, the Huadian worn by ancient Chinese women were not only vibrant in color but also diverse in materials. Beyond the traditional cinnabar outlines, they included gold foil, gemstones, pearls, and kingfisher feathers.
During the Tang Dynasty, it was quite common for women to adorn their foreheads with Huadian. Historical records, such as Tang Li Fuyan's 'Xu Xuan Guai Lu·Ding Hun Dian,' mention Wei Gu's wife who 'always wore a Huadian between her eyebrows, never removing it even during baths or leisure.' By the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, some women even covered nearly their entire faces with Huadian, reflecting the trend's popularity.
For instance, red Huadian, outlined with cinnabar, were so vividly colored that Tang poet Bai Juyi wrote in 'Banquet at Zhou Hao's Guangfu Residence': 'Red cherries pale in comparison to the Huadian's brilliance.'
Gold foil Huadian, also known as 'Jindian' (金钿), were so delicate they resembled cicada wings, earning them nicknames like 'Golden Cicada' or 'Dian Cicada.' Tang poet He Ning's 'Palace Poem' captures this: 'Busy picking herbs under flowers, unaware of the lost golden cicada.'
Pearl Huadian exuded a gentle elegance, while black Huadian were crafted from black glossy paper. Other variations included white Huadian made from fish gill bones or mica, shell - inlaid Luodian (螺钿), and emerald - green Cui Dian (翠钿) made from kingfisher feathers. As Tang courtesan Hua Rui noted in her 'Palace Poem': 'Emerald Huadian lightly grace the cheeks, jade phoenix hairpins seem ready to soar.'
Combination Huadian, such as pearls paired with kingfisher feathers, were also popular, as seen in Song Dynasty portraits.
Huadian came in various shapes—flowers, leaves, teardrops, fans—and could be freely combined. Beyond forehead adornments, Huadian also referred to hair ornaments. Crafted from gold, silver, pearls, and gemstones, these floral - shaped pieces were inserted into coiled buns to enhance beauty, distinct from hairpins used for securing hair.
The pinnacle of Huadian artistry is the gold headpiece of He Ruo Jue (贺若厥), comprising 109 exquisitely linked gold components adorned with jade, gemstones, and pearls. He Ruo Jue, who married Dugu Luo (独孤罗), eldest son of Northern Zhou general Dugu Xin (独孤信), was buried in a lavish tomb surpassing even early Tang consorts and princesses.
Today, Huadian continue to inspire modern films, TV shows, and makeup, their shapes and placements varying widely. Despite millennia of change, Huadian remain a timeless symbol of beauty, bridging ancient elegance with contemporary glamour.
