Hairpins

wpe6.jpg (8382 個位元組)Hp/1  Gold Plated Silver Hairpin for a Young Lady 

Weight: 2 maces (7.2 grams)

Length: 10.5 cm 

At the head, dressing with 3 different flowers-- Peony, Plum Blossom, and Lotus, respectively represents for "Noble and Wealth", "Endurance" and "Purity". According to these blessing symbols, this piece could be belonged to a young lady.

wpeB.jpg (8532 個位元組)Hp/2   Sculptured Pure Silver Hairpin for a Married Woman 

Weight: 3 maces (11.4 grams)

Length: 13.2 cm

Sculptured with the feature of climbing vine, symbolizing "Prosperous", "Productive" and "Flourishing", were further used to imply "Having a great number of descendants". A Buddhist rotary symbol at the middle of the pin, giving the meaning of "Eternity" or "Everlasting Life".  According to these symbols, this piece could be made for a married woman.

wpe8.jpg (4980 個位元組)Hp/3   Hairpin of Longevity for an Older Woman

Weight: 1 mace (3.6 grams)

Length: 5 cm

Its head featured in a Chinese character- 壽 "Shou" (Longevity) where also hidden with the symbol of "Bat", which in Chinese pronounced as "Fu", means "Luck". Obviously, it was appealed to an older lady.

wpe3.jpg (8303 個位元組)Hp/4    Hairpin sculptured with the plants of four seasons

Weight: 5 maces (18.5 grams)      

Length: 9.2 cm 

Sculptured with Plum Blossoms for winter, Orchids for spring, Bamboos for summer, and Chrysanthemum for autumn. These four flowers or plants also have the metaphors of Chinese feminine virtues--Endurance, Elegance, Integrity and  Brightness.

wpeA.jpg (4812 個位元組)Hp/5     Hairpin in a plain design

Weight: 5 maces (18 grams)

Length: 10 cm 

A simple, streamlined silver pin without any ornament decorated. 

wpe3.jpg (5711 個位元組)Hp/6   Hairpin in lower silver finess of the early Republican era

Weight: 2.5 maces (8.8 grams)

Length: 8.4 cm 

An enameled hairpin with the features of Plum blossoms and Bamboos

A hallmark 昆銀60 "Kun Yin 60" indicates that it was "made in Kunmin (Yunnan) in a silver finess of 60%". 

Accordingly, this piece should be cast in the early Republican period amid 1912-1933, during the time when sycee was withdrawing from the markets and the average silver content of silverwares then produced were declining. After 1933, when sycee was forced to be demonetized and replaced by silver coins in nationwide, the government further prohibited any silverware or silver article for decorative purpose their silver finess from being higher than 30%. 

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