The emperor and empress wore elegant gold crowns for ceremonial occasions. The most prestigious of the emperor’s crowns, the benkan, had a gold openwork inner structure that fit on his head. At the top of his head, a central rod held up a rectangular board covered with cloth. Strings of beads dangling from this board created a veil at the front and back of the emperor’s head. The empress wore a similarly elaborate crown, though its exact construction is not known.