In jewelry, hairpins are light, vertical hair ornaments. It is a very old style, dating back to ancient China. They come in two varieties:-
1. One-point, a single long, straight piece, with a point at one end and often a knob-shaped ornament on the other.
2. Two-point, a U-shaped piece with two blunt ends or prongs.
Hairpins can be worn at any angle, and often come in pairs. For Chinese ladies, hairpins were not just a novelty, but a necessity, since wearing one's hair fastened or tied up was a sign of respectability in a grown woman.
Below is a Chinese silver hairpin ornament. The hollow part of the ornament is meant to insert any kind of long materials such as jade, metal, wood or ivory to make the whole object as a decorative hairpin. This "ruyi" (如意) shaped ornament is related with the ceremonial scepter in Chinese Buddhism.
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1. One-point, a single long, straight piece, with a point at one end and often a knob-shaped ornament on the other.
2. Two-point, a U-shaped piece with two blunt ends or prongs.
Hairpins can be worn at any angle, and often come in pairs. For Chinese ladies, hairpins were not just a novelty, but a necessity, since wearing one's hair fastened or tied up was a sign of respectability in a grown woman.
Below is a Chinese silver hairpin ornament. The hollow part of the ornament is meant to insert any kind of long materials such as jade, metal, wood or ivory to make the whole object as a decorative hairpin. This "ruyi" (如意) shaped ornament is related with the ceremonial scepter in Chinese Buddhism.
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
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