Mingfu (simplified Chinese: 命妇; traditional Chinese: 命婦; pinyin: mìngfù; lit. "noblewoman", "court lady") was granted to wives of officials, non-imperial aristocrats and collateral clanswomen. Also, mothers of imperial consorts were granted a title of mingfu according to the rank held by her daughter as well as sisters of imperial consorts. A title was granted to nursemaids of emperors and attendants of imperial consorts. Noblewomen were divided into 7 ranks according to the rank of her husband and her daughter, if her daughter was an imperial consort. If the title held by mingfus' husbands was divided into subclasses, they could be treated equally.
Married lady held title according to the position of her husband and could be promoted if her family members or children became officials or were awarded aristocratic title.
Wives of 8th and 9th rank officials could be granted a title of mingfu.
Mingfu retained her title even after divorce if her sister or daughter was imperial consort.
However, wives and mothers of dukes and aristocrats who received pre-standard titles could be addressed as "fujin" - a title typical for imperial princess consort . For example, mother of Fuk'anggan, lady Nara was mentioned and addressed as "fujin", as a mother of Prince Jiayong of the Second Rank (嘉勇郡王). Fukang'an's wife, lady Irgen Gioro was also addressed as "fujin". Their names were not listed in Jade Tables (imperial genealogy). Wives of non-imperial aristocrates were treated as imperial duchesses, but de facto they enjoyed lesser privileges.[1]
Mingfus were divided into "inner court ladies" and "outer court ladies". Inner court ladies were close friends and servants of imperial consorts, ex. Sumalagu, a confidant of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. Female servants of imperial consorts received a title of mingfu according to the rank of imperial consort whom their served . Sometimes they could be addressed as "gege" (a title exclusively reserved for imperial princesses).[2] Inner mingfus holding rank equivalent to wives of imperial generals conducted promotions of imperial ceremonies, weddings of imperial princes and princesses and several rites, while lower ranked ladies attended to them.
Court ladies were subdivided into "Qianqing palace ladies" and "Cining palace ladies" according to the position of their masters. Qianqing palace ladies were attendants to the emperor and his consorts. The following titles were granted to Qianqing palace ladies:[3]
Cining palace ladies were attendants to the grand empress dowager, empress dowager and consort dowagers. The following titles were granted to Cining palace ladies:
Outer court ladies were mothers and unmarried into ruling clan sisters of imperial consorts, nursemaids of emperors and collateral clanswomen. Sisters of imperial consorts, who weren't members of imperial family (primary consorts or imperial consorts) were given a title of mingfu and receive a title according to the position of their husbands.
The following titles were granted to court ladies:
| Rank | Title | Title of imperial consort
being a daughter of noblewoman |
Imperial title equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viscountess | Empress/Empress dowager | Wife of zhenguo jiangjun |
| 2 | Baroness | Imperial Noble Consort | Wife of fuguo jiangjun |
| 3 | Wife of qingche duwei | Noble Consort | Wife of fengguo jiangjun |
| 4 | Wife of jiduwei | Consort | Wife of feng'en jiangjun |
| 5 | Wife of yunjiwei | Concubine | Clanswoman |
| 6 | Wife of enjiwei | Noble Lady | |
| 7 | Wife of 7th rank official | First-class attendant/ Second class attendant |
|
Main article: Mangfu |
Mingfus wore crowns with three bejewled plaques and finial consisting of one coral, silk bandeaus with embroidered golden dragons chasing after a flaming pearl and blue-grounded chaofu on solemn ceremonies. Mingfus could not wear surcoats with roundels of flowers and auspicious symbols and also golden diadems, unlike imperial duchesses and clanswomen. Collateral clanswomen could wear surcoats with rampant four-clawed dragons above the magnificent sea-waves pattern (lishui) and white caishui (pointed kerchief fastened to the robe like a pendant). Wives of officials wore sleeveless vest matching Mandarin square of her husband and Ming Dynasty style tiaras, as depicted on ancestral portraits.[14]