Fringes

The typical red silk fringes that are spread along the crown of the hat also have variations. This one has red silk tassels which solely function as decoration for the hat; this was the most common variant of fringes. A prime example of a different type of fringes is the travel hat.

The Manchu travel hat is a variation on the normal Manchu summer hat. The travel hat was made just like a normal summer hat, except that instead of red silk, red-colored horse or yak hair was used for the fringes. Furthermore, the fringes hung down below the rim of the hat. They would dangle before the eyes of the wearer and keep dust and flies out of his eyes. On dry, dusty and hot roads during the summer, a simple feature like this made a big difference in travel comfort. These hats were worn by military men and guards.[Cf]

The fringes of the emperor’s summer hat were also not exactly the same as the typical summer hat. The shape of the hat made it so the vermillion silk filling seemed to drape differently than it did on other hats. The hat was flat on the top with the imperial pearls shining brightly above. The material used was also different from other summer hats. It was made from a straw called Delesu by the Manchus, also known as jade grass, grown in the homeland of the Manchus. Again, the Manchus were very homesick.