Hair Ornament

2017-11-46

From: Taiwan

Curatorial Section: Asian

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Object Number 2017-11-46
Current Location Collections Storage
Culture Chinese
Provenience Taiwan
Section Asian
Materials Metal | Bead | Kingfisher Feathers
Iconography Double Coin | Shou
Inscription Language Chinese Language
Description

A woman's metal hair pin, decorated with kingfisher feathers and artificial pearl beads. This technique of decorating metal objects with blue iridescent kingfisher feathers is known as tian-tsui (Chinese: diancui 點翠). The body of the pin bears a maker's stamp, and a stylized lingzhi fungus design. The tian-tsui decorated elements are mounted on springy wires soldered to the body of the pin. On either side are symmetrically arranged floral blooms, a double-coin emblem, an auspicious bat, and a stylized shou 壽 "longevity" symbol.

Length 9.3 cm
Width 5.8 cm
Credit Line Gift of Dr. Robert Buckwalter and Martha Hoffer Hess Estate, 2017

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