Hair-Pin

Date1850-1900

MediumBone, glass

DimensionsObject/Work: 205 x 10 mm

ClassificationsPersonal Ornament

Terms

Object numberC12434

DescriptionLady's hair pin consisting of 2 long, slightly curved prongs. It is decorated at the top with green and red glass beads and a spoon-shaped ear-cleaner. Possibly made from the bone of a bird leg.

In the 19th Century China banned ornamentation in the form of costume accessories. However, Chinese ladies were allowed to wear ornamented hairpins because they claimed they were functional: hairpins were also used as ear cleaners, an important social practice in 19th Century China.

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