According to "5000 Years of Chinese Costume" by Zhou Xun and Gao Chunming, certain fabric triangles known as shao were used during the Wei, Jin, and Northern/Southern Dynasties, tip facing towards the ground, to decorate women's robes. The shao would be worn around the waist, with the bases covered by an apron or a waist skirt, creating the image of swallowtails. I believe that this character is the swallowtail accessory that Zhou and Gao are talking about.

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