Did Ming Dynasty earrings already look like something you would buy at a mall today? When Yang Zi (杨紫) appeared as Li Zhen (李祯) in the period drama The Mo (家业), viewers quickly noticed her ring-shaped earrings. Many called them “too modern.” Some even found identical styles on current fashion websites. Was this a historical mistake? Did the production team slip a pair of 21st-century accessories into a story set hundreds of years ago? The truth is the opposite.
The drama’s time frame is the Ming Dynasty (明朝), a period when Chinese earring design reached a peak of variety and sophistication. Before the Ming, Han Chinese women in the Tang Dynasty and earlier rarely wore pierced earrings at all. That habit only became common in the Song Dynasty. By the Ming, three main categories of earrings had already taken shape: Ding Xiang (丁香), ring-shaped hoops, and hanging drops. These three types match almost exactly what we wear today. So if Li Zhen’s earrings feel “modern,” it is only because Ming artisans had already mastered clean, bold designs that our own era has rediscovered.
Tiny Studs of the Ming
The smallest category was Ding Xiang, a name that literally means “clove” because the stud resembles the small head of a clove spice. Today we call them stud earrings. Most were made of gold or silver, consisting of a tiny decorative bead on the front and a short hook that passed through the earlobe. The back had no visible fastener, leaving only the delicate bead visible from the front. Common women wore them daily. Ordinary people even had a folk name for them: “bean sprout studs”. The style was simple, neat, and elegant.
The Ming writer Li Yu (李渔) described Ding Xiang in his famous work Xianqing Ouji (闲情偶寄), or Occasional Notes with Leisure Feeling. He wrote, “For earrings, the smaller the better. A single pearl, or a tiny dot of gold or silver. These are everyday items, and their common name is ‘clove’ because of their shape.” His words prove how widespread stud earrings were. Unlike today’s screw-back or push-back studs, the Ming version used a simple wire hook. But the visual effect was identical: a small, bright accent at the earlobe that did not compete with other jewelry. Women who wore Ding Xiang valued understated beauty. It was a quiet form of self-expression, not a shout.
Why did the Ming favor such small earrings? One reason is practicality. Working women, merchants, and even noble ladies needed jewelry that would not snag on clothing or hair. Another reason is taste. The Ming aesthetic often celebrated restraint. A single gold bead or a tiny pearl could speak louder than a large, noisy pendant. This idea—small is beautiful—has returned in modern minimalist jewelry trends. So when you see a pair of simple gold studs in a store today, you are looking at a direct descendant of the Ding Xiang that Li Yu praised four hundred years ago.
The Deceptive Ring
The earrings that sparked the online debate were ring-shaped hoops. Unlike studs, these are larger circles of metal or jade, with no hanging parts. The decoration is all on the front face: carving, openwork, or engraved patterns. Because the design is so clean, some viewers thought it looked like a cheap modern ring. But historical evidence shows that this shape is much older than the Ming. Similar hoop earrings appear as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties. How did ancient people wear them without pierced ears? They used thin metal wires or silk threads to suspend the hoop from the ear, either through a small hole or hooked over the edge. It was both practical and beautiful.
During the Ming, ring-shaped earrings came in two main materials: jade and metal. Jade hoops were often made of jade or nephrite, carved into smooth circles with shallow relief patterns. Metal hoops were usually gold or silver, sometimes gilded. The front face might show a lotus, a butterfly, or a simple geometric pattern. The back was left plain because no one would see it. This attention to front-facing detail is exactly what modern hoop earrings do today. So why do they look “modern” to us? Because our current fashion has circled back to minimalism. The straight line, the simple circle, the uncluttered surface—these are Ming ideas that we have rediscovered.
Some of the most striking ring-shaped earrings were not from the Ming but from the Northern Wei (北魏) dynasty, a much earlier period. The Datong Museum (大同博物馆) holds a pair of earrings with both a hanging drop and a decorative chain. The chain is an advanced design that seems almost futuristic. It includes carved totems on both the front and side, so the earring looks beautiful from any angle. When you see that piece, you realize that ancient Chinese artisans were experimenting with layered, three-dimensional forms long before the modern era. The ring-shaped earring in The Mo is not an anachronism. It is a respectful nod to a tradition of clean, strong design that has never truly disappeared.
Dangling Charms and Blessings
The third major Ming category is hanging earrings, which we now call drop earrings or chandelier earrings. Most used a hook that went through the piercing, with a pendant swinging below. The pendants could be short or long. Short versions included tiny gourds (a symbol of good fortune), fruit shapes like peaches or pomegranates, or small pearl clusters. Artisans used gold wire to create tiny birds, fish, or flowers. Each piece was a miniature sculpture that moved with the wearer. The effect was lively and graceful, especially when the woman turned her head.
Long hanging earrings were even more dramatic. Metal chains connected several gemstones or jade beads, so the earring reached down toward the shoulder. This style was often worn by noblewomen on formal occasions. But the most fascinating subtype was the character pendant. Artisans shaped the drop itself into a Chinese character. The most common was Shou (寿), meaning long life. Others showed Fu (福), meaning good luck, or Xi (喜) for double happiness. Some rare examples even depicted tiny human figures or miniature pavilions. These were not just ornaments. They were wearable wishes. Every time the woman moved, the character swayed and caught the light, silently sending out a blessing.
Looking back, we see only a small corner of a vast tradition. The earrings in The Mo are not “modern” at all. They are classical pieces that happen to match today’s taste for clean lines and strong shapes. The difference is that Ming earrings also carried layers of meaning—status, luck, poetry, and personal taste—that our mass-produced jewelry often lacks. So the next time you see a simple hoop or a tiny stud, ask yourself: is this modern, or is this Ming? The answer might be both. And that is the real surprise. Ancient Chinese women did not just wear earrings. They wore tiny works of art that speak across five hundred years. Their sense of style was not ahead of its time. It simply refused to grow old.