A pair of pretty vintage Chinese single pronged hairpins in traditional designs

 

CONDITION: good vintage condition with expected wear for age

 

APPROXIMATE DATE: late 19^th – early 20^th century

 

MATERIALS: metal

 

DESCRIPTION:

 

#1 curved single pronged hairpin in openwork antiqued metal with birds and floral design. Measures 2½ ins (6 cm)

 

#2 circular single pronged hair pin orange dyed jadeite with applied multi coloured enamel. Measures (3 ins) 9 cm

Two pretty single pronged Chinese gilded metal hair pins from the Qing dynasty, early 20th century. They are decorated with naturalistic elements which are typical of Chinese design at this period. These delightful hair accessories are typical of the hair ornaments worn by middle class women of the period.

The final pictures show other items from this collection and examples of Chinese ladies and the kinds of hair decoration they used. They can be worn with a modern hair style or tucked into a classic French twist.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

The Manchu minority ruled from 17th century to the early 20th century in China. Manchu married women would arrange their hair into a bun which was then decorated with ornaments of various kinds. Contemporary photographs and illustrations from the late 19th and early 20th century show that these hair styles and ornaments could vary considerably. There were modest ornaments a few inches in length, worn by middle class Chinese women. Then there were the lavish and exaggerated versions seen at the Manchu court of the Dowager Empress Tzu-Hsi. Along with the wooden or metal ornament were often placed hairpins with trembler headings and long pendants, which swung as the wearer moved.