Hi my friend wanted to ask about Chinese Opera and the red pom poms on their hats and their significance. I asked my mom and she said they were for decoration so I just wanted clarification
Hi! Thanks for the question, and sorry for taking ages to reply!
The pom poms you see on 盔头/kuitou (Chinese opera headdresses) are called 绒球/rongqiu (lit. "velvet ball"). They are often red, but can also be other colors, and vary in size. Ronqiu are decorative and serve to distinguish the many different types of kuitou from one another. Each type of kuitou is distinct in the number, size, and color of rongqiu that it's decorated with (of course, not all kuitou have rongqiu).
Below - a few different types of Beijing opera kuitou decorated with rongqiu (x):
Rongqiu isn't used just for Chinese opera performances - it's a very common decorative item for Chinese headwear, especially for traditional/folk performances.
Below - examples of rongqiu use in folk custom/performance costumes, left to right: 1) 游神/youshen (wandering gods) procession in Fujian (x), 2) 英歌舞/yingge wu (yingge dance) performer in Guangdong (x), 3) & 4) 高跷/gaoqiao (stilt walking) performers in a 社火/shehuo parade in Gansu (x):
As a festive decoration, rongqiu was also widely used on bridal guan (crowns) from the Qing dynasty into the modern day.
Below - examples of rongqiu use in historical bridal guan: Left - a bride during the late Qing dynasty, circa 1890 (x); Right - a bride during the Republican era/minguo, in 1939 (x):
For some reason it's been extremely difficult to find sources on the origin of rongqiu that would shed more light on its significance, but based on historical paintings the use of rongqiu as a head ornament may have originated in the Qing dynasty. During the late Qing dynasty, it was fashionable among women to wear rongqiu on the sides of their hair, as can be seen in the paintings below (x):
This particular style of rongqiu hair ornament was depicted in the 2012 historical cdrama 娘心计/Mother's Scheme:
For more references, please see my rongqiu and kuitou tags.
If anyone has more information on the significance of rongqiu, please do share!
Hi, could you please help me identify this jellycat keychain? I was given him as a gift with the tag removed and I’ve not been able to find any info about who he is online. Thank you!!!
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Of course! The official name of this one is "Pompom Just Peachy Bag Charm"!
He is modelled on the Just Peachy Pompom!
Both of these are now retired, though, along with all of the other Jellycat Pompoms😊
Started and finished two knitted beanies this week which is actually quite impressive of me and my inability to focus on projects at the moment. Being back at work in the mornings has been a blessing for so many reasons, but it also means I have less time to make things. I'm still trying to find the balance but I'll get there eventually.
These hats will be posted in my ko-fi shop... eventually...🤷🏽♀️
☮️💟🐶🕉️☯️ Look who’s officially a Teenager today! #MissBella our sweet baby girl is 13. She’s our beautiful little dork, our sassy, lovey, happy, sweet, kind little cuddle bear. She’s had long battles with health issues like #Epilepsy 💜 #LuxatingPatella and now #Pancreatitis but through it all, she still brings joy & happiness to our lives every single day. No amount of words will ever be enough to describe my love for this beautiful creature. She’s captured my heart & soul and am eternally grateful that this precious soul is part of our family. Mommie & Pawpaw & #LittleLexie love you bunches ♾️ #Happy13thBirthday #BirthdayGirl #PomLife #Pommies #Pomeranians #PomPoms #PommieLove #MommiesPommies #PunkRockPommies #PeaceLovePommies #YinAndYangPommies #PomeraniansOfInstagram #DogsOfInstagram (at Manteca, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoEReqELnzF5lZxWAy-dw4t7GFrTRPpRbosj0k0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
Testing my new "bow maker" on some easy pompoms. I used to use a nice set of tassel makers to cut all my yarn for doll hair but it they have gone missing! They don't seem to make them like the ones I had anymore so I was scrambling for something to replace them.
Found a really simple bow maker thing on Amazon for 10 dollars and it seemed like it would work. Making these pompoms for my shoes was easy enough with it so it should work for future doll hair stuff as well.
Now I'm one step closer to living my weird fashion clown dreams
The rug portrays the mystical serpent, a powerful symbol of the divine feminine’s universal earth energy. Across local Bulgarian folklore and worldwide beliefs, the snake has been a crucial figure with profound mythological importance. In ancient times, people often linked snakes with healing. As an embodiment of chaos, fertility, and wisdom, the snake represents both fire and water, earthly and divine, as well as death and rebirth.
Contact me at [email protected] for custom projects, sales and inquiries!
This project has been implemented with the support of the Bulgarian National Fund "Culture" under the "Creative Scholarships" program.