The Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties was a period in the history of China that lasted from 220 to 581 AD. Though an age of civil war and political chaos, it was also a time of flourishing arts and culture. There were numerous movements of people within China. The movement were occasioned by differrent circimstances, and the end results were the redistribution and mixing of entnic groups.
This study analyzed the exchange aspects of the Han tribe and the northern local gentries through examining the origins and development process of traditional ornament of the Han Chinese, the gold cap ornament with cacala figure(金蟬紋) and the Gold Boyo(金步搖”step-sway).
Characteristic thing in the costume system of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties of China, which was based on the Han dynasty, is that gold diadem is combined with official hat by reflecting the taste of northern migrants’ gold ornaments. The gold cap ornament with cacala figure is identified with military hat in the Han literature entitled Arbitrariness by Chaong. The real object was discovered in the Namgeongdaebukwon(南京大北園) tomb of Dongjin, recorded chronologically in the mid 4th century first. Namgeongdaebukwon tomb is estimated to be the tomb of the imperial family of Dongjin, and emperor also wore the gold cap ornament with cacala figure, which was composed of motifs with cicada and mountain in association with the taoism of China.
The gold cap ornament with cacala figure is identified to have been spread in the northern region as well as the southern region uniformly. This phenomenon occurred because northern migrants accepted the coronet system of the southern region. In the case of the northern region, it is intriguing that the gold cap ornament with a cacala figure is identified in the tombs of women and children. It is assumed that this happened due to Wuguan are originated from the northern region. In other words, this shows the aspect that people of all classes wore Wuguan that attaches the gold cap ornament with a cacala figure.
Gold Boyog(金步搖), which is shaky while walking, emerged as women’s head ornaments on the Han dynasty, according to literatures. The popularity of Boyogwan(步搖冠) began after using diadem ornaments of Murong Xianibei(慕容鮮卑) and Tuoba Xianbei(拓拔鮮卑). Boyogwan of Han dynasty, which was used as women’s ornaments, is judged to be a different system from Boyogwan of northern immigrants in terms of quality and form.
Boyogwan became popular in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties of China by Murong Xianibei, northern immigrants. This name was originated from the fact that these people liked wearing boyogwan, usually worn by women. The Boyongwan, which was used by Murong Xianibei was different from that of Han dynasty, which puts its technical origin in Boyogwan of Central Asia. Boyo technique, made by cutting thin gold plate, affected Boyo ornaments of women in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and Tang and Song dynasties.
Boyogwan in Murong Xianibei tomb was identified in the stage of the third century, and these diadem ornaments were excavated intensively before the first half term of the fourth century. In addition, these ornaments have the regional characteristics in that they were chiefly discovered in Zhaoyang, which was the capital of the Former, Later, and Southern Yan. In the era of early 5th century, which was the disappearing time of Boyogwan, the gold cap ornament with cacala figure and boyogwan were combined in the Pungsobul(馮素弗) tomb.
In the fourth century and fifth century, the gold hat ornaments of the northern region and southern region exchanged mutual effect. The gold cap ornament with the cacala figure of Dongjin style was added to unique Boyogwan of Xianibei, and northern Boyo was added to the gold ornaments of the southern region. In this stage, the element of cicada was vanished and simplified as a mountain style ornament. Likewise, the fusion style of southern and northern regions were used in the gold hat ornaments of Korea in the three kingdom period of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla uniformly.