Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms

Clothing, Volume I

The Skin Cap of the Scholar-Official

The term Shi (士) refers to the scholar-officials or gentlemen of the bureaucracy. In the social hierarchy of imperial China, they were the rank below the Grandees (Dafu). Their ritual clothing was strictly regulated to reflect their specific status.

The Skin Cap Pibian (皮弁): A formal ritual cap made from white deerskin. It was constructed using several panels of leather sewn together, often with the seams decorated with small white pearls or jade beads. It was considered a highly dignified cap, used for court audiences and important sacrifices. is the defining headgear for the Scholar-official’s ritual dress Shi zhi fu (士之服): The prescribed ceremonial ensemble for the lowest rank of the nobility/officialdom..

original: "士皮弁" (Shi Pibian) and "士之服" (Shi zhi fu)

The woodcut illustration depicts an official in a wide-sleeved ritual robe. Unlike the "Mian" coronets worn by higher-ranking nobles which featured a flat rectangular board and hanging tassels, the Pibian is a rounded cap that fits closer to the head. The figure holds a ritual tablet (hu), used to maintain decorum and record notes during an audience with a superior.