INTRIGUING
ANTIQUE JADE FLOWER
PIN FOR CHINESE HANFU
QING DYNASTY BIAN FANG
HEADDRESS
I don’t think this is
a brooch as such.
From what I have
researched I think it
is a decorative jade pin
that would have
been one of many
decorative elements
attached to a large
headdress worn by
Chinese women from the
19th Century
or Qing Dynasty up until the 1940s.
This particular ‘brooch’
appears to be a jade
flower brooch made
for this purpose from
the early 20th century.
It would have been
one of many decorative
elements used on a
fashionable highborn
ladies headdress at this time.
The jade pieces have
been hand sewn onto
the simple metal
brooch style fitting to
form this bunch of
leaves, fruit and
berries with the
stems bound together
at the bottom – see photos.
There are two types
and/or colours of jade –
a slightly
translucent dark speckled green
like Nephrite for the leaves and a more
vibrant apple green
and white stone
forms petals and a
carved central
fruit (apple perhaps)
and tiny little
red berries which
could be glass or
stone, hard to tell
but also each
one hand sewn into
place.
It’s a gorgeous thing
and quite rare
I should think.
I like to research
our items and this
little jade piece
fascinated me so much
I pieced together a
history of these
amazing headdresses
so hopefully
I have got all the facts right.
According to one
source:-
‘With the evolution of the dynasty, the Qing
dynasty
Manchu women's headdress is rich and diverse.
Inheritance of headdress in the past
generations,
but also according to the national dressing
characteristics, create jewelry corresponding
to it.
One of the most Ancient Chinese
headdress representatives
is
the Bian
Fang (扁方).’
In
the early Qing Dynasty, the "two buns head"
was
a popular hairstyle of Manchu
women
in the Qing Dynasty.
The
hair is divided at the top of the head into two
sections and wrapped around the Bian Fang,
a
long flat narrow item (a bit like an antique
paper knife) forming two transverse or
horizontal
buns
on each side of the head and leaving the
remaining hair behind the head is combed into
a
flat bun like a dovetail and was apparently
easy enough to do yourself.
In
the late Qing Dynasty the Empress Dowager
Cixi
and her Manchu Court ladies started to wear
a much
bigger and ornate version of this
hairstyle
known as Liangbatou or Erbatou.
It
was formed with the parted hair method but
utilised
a tall wire frame on a base that
sat
on the wearers head for support.
It
was wrapped
with stiffened black satin, which
gave it a defined angled fan shape and
sharp edges.
Because of the
additional support from the
wired frame, the decoration
on these
headdresses became
more decorative
and elaborate.
Court ladies could
afford intricate floral
arrangements with jade, pearls, coral
and other precious stones
whereas
‘Commoners’ relied on
a more demure
look that featured inlaid metals and
velvet flowers thus
this headdress came
to be used to reveal a
woman's social
and marital status.
It also became a symbol
of Manchu identity
and used as imperial propaganda to show
support for the Qing Dynasty and strengthen
Manchu ties.
This headdress’
popularity carried on through
to the Republican
period of 1910-1940.
CONDITION
In good antique condition but has
a few signs of age and use.
At least one of the long petals
has come loose and probably
should be re-sewn – see video.
I can’t see any large chips to anything
but there is one very tiny chip to the
tip of one of the dark green leaves
which is too small and insignificant
to photograph, only mentioning for
accuracy of description, but that’s
the only thing that I could find.
I haven’t tried to clean it so its
a bit dusty but a quick bubble bath
mightn’t hurt
it if you thoroughly
dry it afterwards.
DIMENSIONS
It measures approximately:
4cm (1 ½ ") high
5cm (2") wide
Weight is: 12.0 grams
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