19th century
The hairpin, bian fang, is of flat elongated rectangular form with one rounded end, and the other end wrapped over itself to create a scroll.
The main part is repoussed and engraved with two panels, one with a roundel of deer reserved on a ground of a pair of quails amongst lotus, and two magpies amongst prunus. The other panel shows a roundel of a pair of cranes reserved on a ground of a Buddhist lion and a carp swimming amongst lotus. The panels are divided by a wan symbol. The scroll-like end is chased with a bat with outstretched wings.
The rim is encircled by a border of various geometric patterns.
Length 28.8 cm
Images representing marital happiness are shown throughout this hair pin, such as the two quails, the magpies, and the cranes, as well as symbols of happiness and long life and wealth shown by the deer, the carp, the fo-dog and the bat, fu.
Hairpins like the present example were worn by aristocratic Manchu ladies in Beijing and other parts of northern China.
The long hair would be wrapped about these pins to create the elaborate wing-tipped hairdo, in vogue with Manchu women. It felt out of fashion after the 1911 overthrew of the Qing dynsty.
WF 111 十九世紀 銀鏨花吉祥圖案扁方
本品銀質，為清代滿族傳統髮飾「扁方」。器身呈扁平長條矩形，一端修圓，另一端向內回捲呈卷軸狀。
器身主體經搥揲與鏨刻工藝飾有兩組長方框廓：其一中心設圓形開光，內鏨瑞鹿紋，背景襯以蓮池雙鵪與喜鵲登梅圖；另一組長方框廓中心亦置圓形開光，內飾雙鶴紋，背景則襯以瑞獅及蓮池游鯉圖。兩大框廓之間以「卍」字紋相隔。卷軸狀末端鏨刻一隻展翅祥蝠。器邊通體環飾一週幾何紋邊框。
此件扁方紋飾富含吉祥寓意，通體彰顯婚姻美滿、琴瑟和鳴，同時匯集了象徵福壽富貴的瑞獸符號。
長28.8公分
