“Manchu women of position generally decorated their hair with a small comb whose frame was formed with wire or thin rattan strips and covered with black gauze, on which were embroidered green feathers. The commoners mostly wore ‘fork-shape’ buns. Later under the influence of the Han women, they came to wear flat buns. However, the bun became higher and higher towards the end of the dynasty until it was an ornaments of fixed shaped in the form of an ‘archway’, capable of being put on the head at will after putting a few flowers into it, hence the name of ‘big wings’.” (5,000 Years of Chinese Costume, pg. 173)
“Manchu women combed their hair into a flat chignon at the back with horns supported by a hair board, which was also called ‘double horns hair style.’ Very beautiful and unique, they often decorated hair with big flowers of vivid color or tassels.” (Chinese Clothing, 81)