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= Hair accessories = Hair accessories are functional or ornamental objects wrapped, tied, twisted, inserted, or otherwise attached to the hair. Throughout history, types of ornamentation and the materials from which they were made indicated religious significance, social class, age group, and level of fashion awareness. These include beads, ribbons, hairpins, combs and barrettes.

China
In Ancient China, when a boy turned 20 or a girl turned 15, their parents would hold them a Coming of Age Ceremony, in which they would change their hairstyle and hair ornaments. This had been one of the grandest rites in one’s lifetime, which represented a turning point of becoming an adult who is ready to take certain responsibilities. This tradition originated in the Zhou Dynasty, and has a history of over 2,000 years. When a man turned 20 years old, he would start to wear Guan (or Shu Fa)  in the Coming of Age ceremony. After having one’s hair bind up on top of the head, a Guan (Shu Fa) was used to decorate the tied hair.

Among the many traditional Chinese hair accessories, the Shubi (梳篦, shū bì, comb) was the first to appear, and was almost a necessity for women in ancient times. The teeth of the Shu (梳) were thick and thin, mainly used for combing hair, whilst the teeth of the Bi (篦) were fine and dense to remove dirt from the hair. From the Wei and Jin dynasties that the Shubi was no longer just a tool for women to take care of their hair, but also became a decoration for their heads. The popularity of wearing Shubi as a decoration was greatest in the Tang and Song dynasties. It was in the mid to late Tang Dynasty that Shubi, as hair accessories, became popular, as women wanted to decorate their hair with a towering bun and a Shubi. Some of the combs used as headdresses at that time were not open-toothed, with a single comb-shaped piece of gold inserted in front of the bun, exposing only the back of the comb. The number of combs gradually increased as symmetry became more important, with two or even six combs inserted in groups.

In the Neolithic era, Ji (笄), which later, in the Qin dynasty and Han dynasty, became known as Zan, were used to fasten and tie hair, since dishevelled hair was seen as impolite and coarse in the ancient tradition of China. Early Ji, made mostly of bone, stone and bamboo, looked more primitive and rough, but did not lose a kind of rustic beauty. By the Shang dynasty and Zhou dynasty, the head style of Ji began to diversify, the emergence of umbrella-shaped, geometric shapes, and a variety of birds and animals shape. Zan from the Qin and Han dynasties onward became more elaborate in style and craftsmanship, and materials such as gold, jade, and green feathers also became popular. In the imperial court of the Qing dynasty, Zan was the best of all accessories for imperial concubine’ heads and was made with great care, the head of Zan often made from a single piece of jadeite, coral crystal, or ivory. The variety of styles and patterns of hairpins was unparalleled in previous eras, and the style of the hairpin with the pin integrated into the head was particularly valuable. Zan then evolved into jewelry items such as Touhua (头花) and Biantou (扁头).

In ancient times, traditional Chinese hair accessories also included a hair ornament that evolved from Zan, which was also used to fasten and tie hair, which was called a Chai (钗, chāi). However, Chai had two prongs, whereas Zan only had one. Chai were usually made of pearl, jade, gold, and silver, combined into flowers or other shapes, attached to the two or more strands of long pins that held the hair in place, and was inserted in the bun. Chai could be worn in a variety of ways, and the number of different ways to wear it varied according to the needs of the bun. Generally, a hairpin with the same pattern was placed symmetrically on the top of the bun in two opposite pairs, one on each side. In addition to being an ornament for a woman’s hair, Chai was also a token of farewell given by lovers or couples in ancient times. As a parting gift, a woman would split her Chai in two, giving one half to her partner and keeping the other half for herself, to be put together again on the day of their reunion.

Buyao (步摇, bù yáo) evolved out of Zan, Chai, the base of the Buyao was not dissimilar to the Chai, but Buyao would then be adorned with moving flowering branches, butterfly and bird wings, and dangling beads. They were made from a variety of materials, including gold, silver, agate, and pearls, and were highly crafted. Buyao became popular in the Han Dynasty (202 BC — 220 AD) when they were only permitted to be worn by noblewomen in the royal family. During the Wei, Jin, North and South Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty, there was a high degree of love for the Buyao. During the Wei and Jin dynasties, the Buyao was relatively slender, consisting of bent gold and silver filaments in the form of flowering branches, so that, when worn on a woman’s head, at the slightest movement, the flowering branches would tremble. In the Tang Dynasty, the use of Buyao became more common and could be worn by both nobles and commoners alike. Buyao in the Tang dynasty were mostly made of gold and jade in the shape of phoenix birds, with beads hanging from the mouths of the birds. As the wearer moved, the beads would shake.

Tian-Tsui/Diancui hairpin (点翠, kingfisher feather art), a practice originating from the Han Dynasty that reached its peak during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, is the art of carefully setting the bright blue feathers from the back of a kingfisher onto a base made of different patterns of metal, and then adorning them with pearls, agates, jadeite, and other gemstones. The most important part of this craft is the feather gluing process, which must not be underestimated. The arrangement of the feathers, the direction of the grain, and the uniformity of the color were all tests of the craftsman’s skill and patience.The preciousness of Tian-Tsui craftsmanship was that, although it was beautiful, it was delicate and fragile, and Tian-Tsui jewelry would be worn with extra care. It would have been properly placed in a box after each use, and it would be kept intact without touching abrasion, exposure to sunlight, or water.

The Lotus Crown (Lian Hua Guan) originated from Taoism, where only the most powerful and talented masters would wear one. Since the Tang Dynasty (618 — 907), when Taoism was respected as the national religion, the Lotus Crown became popular among women of both noble and civilian families. Generally, the Lotus Crown worn by women looked like a lotus, but was a little bit different from the original Taoist model.

The Phoenix Crown (Feng Guan) was only allowed to be worn by queens in ancient Chinese history. They were shaped like dragons or phoenixes and decorated with precious gems and valuable pearls. Chinese Empresses would wear them on important occasions. Gradually, noble ladies started to be allowed to wear Phoenix Crowns, but still followed strict standards in regard to size, the material of the crowns, and the numbers and shapes of phoenixes and dragons on them. Later, civilian women were permitted to wear a Phoenix Crown, but only on their wedding day, though their crowns were usually made of less luxurious materials and simpler designs. Today, some brides in China still wear a Phoenix Crown on their wedding day, if they choose to wear a traditional Chinese wedding dress instead of a white bridal gown.

A Hair stick "簪子"(Zanzi) is Chinese ancient headwear with a straight, pointed device, usually between five and nine inches in length, used to hold a person's hair in place in a hair bun or similar hairstyle. Unlike many hair pins, which are usually small and quite simple,[citation needed] hair sticks are often more elaborate and decorative, and feature jeweled or carved designs that make them stand out as pieces of luxury jewelry.[citation needed] The price of hair sticks varies greatly depending on the style, materials, and craftsmanship - the cheapest pairs of plastic hair sticks can cost less than a dollar, while a single, hand-crafted hair stick by an artist can cost over two hundred dollars.

The Hua Sheng was a flower shaped pin placed in one's hair to cover part of the forehead. They originated about 2000 years ago.

The Jin Guo was a hair ornament that was made of fabric, and decorated with gold, gems, or jade. Since the Han Dynasty (202 BC — 220 AD), they have been around, and are exclusively worn by women. Today, the Jin Guo is obselete, but the term is referential of women, especially smart and brave ones.

During the Ming Dynasty Chinese women laced their hair with silver and gold strings to hang pearls and emeralds from.

Japan
Kanzashi (簪) are hair ornaments used in traditional Japanese hairstyles. The term "kanzashi" refers to a wide variety of accessories, including long, rigid hairpins, barrettes, fabric flowers and fabric hair ties.In the English-speaking world, the term "kanzashi" is typically used to refer to hair ornaments made from layers of folded cloth used to form flowers (tsumami kanzashi), or the technique of folding used to make the flowers.

Kanzashi were first used in Japan during the Jōmon period. During that time, the wearing of a single thin rod or stick was considered to hold powers to ward off evil spirits, with people wearing them in their hair for protective purposes.[ citation needed] The Jōmon period also saw the introduction of hair combs. During the Nara period, a variety of Chinese cultural aspects and items were brought to Japan through mutual trade and envoys. The items brought back from China included Chinese hairpins (zan, 簪; written with the same Chinese character as kanzashi), amongst other hair ornaments such as Chinese combs. During the Heian period, hairstyles shifted from being worn up to being worn long, and tied back relatively low. During this time period, the term 'kanzashi' began to be used as a general term for any hair ornament, including combs and hairpins. During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, hairstyles changed from the taregami (垂髪, "hair hanging down") style, to the wider variety of styles worn up - predecessors of modern nihongami styles, which made more use of hair ornaments. Kanzashi came into wider use during the Edo period, when hairstyles became larger and more complicated, using a larger number of ornaments. Artisans began to produce more finely crafted products, including some hair ornaments that could be used as defensive weapons[ citation needed]. During the latter part of the Edo period, the craftsmanship of kanzashi is considered to have reached a high point, with a number of styles and designs created, many of which persist to the modern day.

Kanzashi are fabricated from a wide range of materials, such as lacquered wood, gold and silver plated metal, tortoiseshell, silk, and recently, plastic. Early plastic kanzashi made out of materials such as bakelite are considered to be highly valued as collectables. There are a number of basic kanzashi styles, with the wear of each typically and traditionally following seasonal arrangements; however, in the present day, the use of seasonal kanzashi is observed only by geisha, their apprentices, courtesan re-enactors and in the costumes for kabuki plays. The use of kanzashi to finely indicate age and status is a tradition also only held by geisha and maiko. For maiko, the size, shape, variety and number of kanzashi can indicate seniority and the stage of apprenticeship, used in tangent with a number of different hairstyles throughout the apprenticeship. Though geisha also wear seasonal kanzashi, this is typically confined to a change in the colour of tama kanzashi.

The Chonmage (丁髷) is a type of traditional Japanese topknot haircut worn by men. It is most commonly associated with the Edo period (1603-1867) and samurai, and in recent times with sumo wrestlers. It was originally a method of using hair to hold a samurai helmet steady atop the head in battle, and became a status symbol among Japanese society. In a traditional Edo-era chonmage, the top of the head is shaved. The remaining hair was oiled and waxed before being tied into a small tail folded onto the top of the head in the characteristic topknot.

Korea
A Binyeo (Hangul: 비녀; Korean pronunciation: [pi.njʌ̜]) is a Korean traditional hairpin for fixing ladies' chignons. Its main purpose is to pin the chignon in place, but it also serves as ornamentation, and it has different usages or names according to its material or shape. Therefore, it is possible to identify one's social status by looking at their binyeo. Binyeo are divided into two kinds, a Jam (Korean: 잠; Hanja: 簪; Korean pronunciation: [tɕam]) and a Chae (Korean: 채; Hanja: 釵 Korean pronunciation: [tɕʰɛ̝]). Jam have a long body and Chae have an upturned 'U' shape. Binyeo are usually used by women, but they are also used by men to fix their sangtu (topknots) in place. In the Joseon Dynasty, on the day of becoming an adult, girls held a coming of age ceremony by putting Binyeo in their hair. In the ascension myth "Chiwondae Yangsanbok", which is passed down in the Hamgyeong-do area, it also appears as a medium for Binyeo to meet the two loved ones. It is presumed that Binyeo were used in the period of the Three Kingdoms of Korea with a Goguryeo ladies' hair style similar to chignons today.

A Daenggi is a traditional Korean ribbon used to tie up and decorate braided hair. According to the History of Northern Dynasties, maidens of Baekje bound their hair at the back and braided it, while a married women braided her hair into two plaits and secured them to the crown of her head. There are several types of daenggi according to purpose, age, and social status. Tteoguji daenggi, maegae daenggi, doturak daenggi and deurim daenggi are used for ceremonial purpose; others include jebiburi daenggi, doturank daenggi, jjok daenggi, and malttuk daenggi. The daenggi were used for "gungnyeo", or court ladies, during the Joseon Dynasty were negadak daenggi and patip daenggi.

A Cheopji (hangul:첩지 ;hanja:疊紙) is a Korean hair accessory decorating the chignon of ladies. Functional features of cheopji was to display social status based on materials used, and to hold jokduri in place when wearing a ceremonial dress. It is usually made of silver, and a frog-shape is its common form. The use of cheopji began after Baljaegaeheok (hangul: 발제개혁; hanja: 髮制改革; a reformation that prohibited Gache hair style, then promoted Chignon hair style) proclaimed by Yeongjo of Joseon. It was used routinely at court, but ordinary people were to use this only when they wear a ceremonial dress.. A Cheopji featuring a dragon was worn by the queen; ones with a phoenix by the prince's wife or concubines; those with frogs by the wives of the highest-ranking officials; those with silver frogs by court ladies; and those black frogs by an upper-class woman at the funeral of her husband or parents. Commoners only wore this accessory when wearing ceremonial attire.

India
Indian hair accessories have been popular since ancient times, especially in the Mughal era. Various begums and women belonging to a royal background adorned and popularised the use of accessories like Latkans (a type of tassel) and Maang Tikkas. A Maang tikka is a piece of jewellery typically worn by Indian women on the forehead. They are composed of a chain with hook on one end and a pendant on the other. Brides typically wear maang tikkas, but it can also be worn by women of all ages. They were made out of precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, crystals and pearls. Additional embellishments in these hair brooches included peacock feathers, flowers and various other motifs. Many of these were inspired by nature or by surrounding temples and monuments. Metals used to make such hair accessories included gold, silver, copper, and bronze.

The Ambada hairstyle is a Maharashtrian term for a hair-bun that has been decorated with hair accessories like jewels, hair clips and flowers. While Ambada hairstyles are a daily style preference of many women, for some women, Ambada are only worn on special occasions. The traditional Ambada hairstyle for brides consists of a neatly assembled round bun decorated with a Maharashtrian Veni Phool hairpin. The traditional design of a Veni Phool consists of half a golden sun with different motif designs and embellished with lac, pearls and stones.

A Gajra is a flower garland that is worn on a woman's hair bun during festive occasions, weddings or as part of everyday traditional attire. They are made usually of varies types of jasmine flowers but rose, crossandra and barleria are also widely used in gajras.