Chinese Hat

Children's Hat, Hong Kong, China, early 20th century

This early 20th century young female's hat is an example of the ornamentation used to distinguish between the genders. In addition to separate male and female clothing and accessories, there were rules and practices that also enforced the gendering of individuals. During its reign, the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) imposed specific gendered dress regulations on the entire empire, including the practice followed by Han Chinese males known as the Manchu custom, in which they would shave the front of the head and braid the remainder of the hair. Other practices of gendered ornamentation were also popular, such as female ear-piercing at a young age.