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The kings of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] received formal investiture from [[Chinese investiture envoys|envoys sent by the Chinese Court]]; the investiture ceremonies involved the use of special ritual garments called ''hibenfuku'', including a Chinese-style crown called alternatively ''hibenkan'', or ''tamanchaabui''.  

The kings of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] received formal investiture from [[Chinese investiture envoys|envoys sent by the Chinese Court]]; the investiture ceremonies involved the use of special ritual garments called ''hibenfuku'', including a Chinese-style crown called alternatively ''hibenkan'', or ''tamanchaabui''.  

Such crowns were first bestowed upon the kings of Ryûkyû beginning in [[1427]], with the investiture of King [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]]. These crowns were originally produced in China, along with Ming-style royal robes (''[[hibenfuku]]''), both of which were then granted to the kingdom on special occasions. However, with the fall of the Ming and the change to the [[Qing Dynasty]] in the mid-17th century, Ryûkyû began producing its own investiture crowns and Ming-style robes. Such robes gradually grew more elaborate over time, and the crown too was made more elaborate, being changed from nine gold-embroidered & bejeweled bands to twelve in [[1754]].<ref name=zenshu318>''Okinawa bijutsu zenshû'' 5, 318.</ref>

Such crowns were first bestowed upon the kings of Ryûkyû beginning in [[1427]], with the investiture of King [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]]. These crowns were originally produced in China, along with Ming-style royal robes (''[[hibenfuku]]''), both of which were then granted to the kingdom on special occasions. Originally, the Ming court reserved crowns with twelve strips of jewels for the emperor, and those with nine to crown princes, granting crowns with seven strips to kings of tributary kingdoms.<ref>Akamine Mamoru, Lina Terrell (trans.), Robert Huey (ed.), ''The Ryukyu Kingdom: Cornerstone of East Asia'', University of Hawaii Press (2017), 128.</ref> However, with the fall of the Ming and the change to the [[Qing Dynasty]] in the mid-17th century, Ryûkyû began producing its own investiture crowns and Ming-style robes. Such robes gradually grew more elaborate over time, and the crown too was made more elaborate; in [[1754]], the kingdom changed its crowns from nine gold-embroidered & bejeweled bands to twelve.<ref name=zenshu318>''Okinawa bijutsu zenshû'' 5, 318.</ref>

One such crown, dating to the 18th or 19th century and believed to be the only example extant, is today in the collection of the [[Naha]] City Museum of History, and has been designated a [[National Treasure]]. The crown is only on display twice a year, for limited periods, for conservation reasons. It is a black woven hat with twelve thin strips of gold running in parallel vertically along the front of the crown; each strip is further decorated with 24 jewels or small orbs of gold, silver, jasper, quartz, coral, or the like, for a total of 288. A large golden [[hairpin]] (''kanzashi'') with a dragon design on the head of the pin was also worn with the crown.

One such crown, dating to the 18th or 19th century and believed to be the only example extant, is today in the collection of the [[Naha]] City Museum of History, and has been designated a [[National Treasure]]. The crown is only on display twice a year, for limited periods, for conservation reasons. It is a black woven hat with twelve thin strips of gold running in parallel vertically along the front of the crown; each strip is further decorated with 24 jewels or small orbs of gold, silver, jasper, quartz, coral, or the like, for a total of 288. A large golden [[hairpin]] (''kanzashi'') with a dragon design on the head of the pin was also worn with the crown.