PULP@CISHK
Jewelry Collection
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During the Qing Dynasty, Manchu women used to categorize their jewelry into headdresses, necklaces, bracelets, accessories, etc. The jewelry collection in the Jilin Manchu Museum mainly consists of headdresses, including s bian fang, hair sticks, hair pins, coronets, headband, and flower accessories, most worn by ladies-in-waiting. These fascinating accessories, made with gold, silver, jade, pearls, and different types of gems have been crafted with delicacy, using filigree, inlay, and more techniques with Tian-Tsui and wire inlay crafts, making the ladies-in-waiting of the Qing dynasty appear even more noble, elegant, and stunning. These jewelry demonstrate the accomplished skills of craftsmen, at the same time, they show the strict system of hierarchy of the Qing Dynasty.
Shippei is originally a tool used as alertion in Buddhist meditations. This Shippei shaped hair stick was gilded copper and inlaid with golden wire. The gourd shaped head of the hair stick originally had five shares, with 3 rings remaining. However, it should typically have 9 rings. Wearing Shippei hair sticks shows a dedication in learning about Buddhism, as well as adding to a solemn feel.
Gilded Copper Gold Wire Inlay Shippei Hair Stick,
made in the Republic era, 17.5cm long, 1.8 cm wide.
This hair stick is shaped like a Buddha hand shippei. The Buddha’s hands are gilded copper and inlaid with golden wire. The five fingers are slender, with the index finger and thumb touching together, holding the gourd-top Shippei. The Shippei head has 5 shares, with 15 rings hanging on them. The wrist of the Buddha hand is engraved with Xiangyun (clouds patterns that present luck), swift and delicate. The hair stick is typically worn by Manchu woman during the middle of the Qing dynasty.
Gilded Copper Gold Wire Inlay Buddha Hand-shaped Shippei Hair Stick, made in the Qing dynasty, 18 cm long, 1.5 cm wide.
The hairpin has a copper body, with one end shaped like a needle and the other end decorated with a floral design made of kingfisher feather inlay and white jade. Amber, agate, jadeite, and coral are carved into leaves and branches, embellishing the area around the flower.
White Jade Hairpin with Kingfisher Feather Inlay, Qing Dynasty, length 13.2 cm, width 6.3 cm, height 1.8 cm.
The hairpin is composed of amber, jadeite, coral, pearls, and other gemstones. It is adorned with gilt-copper phoenixes, birds, and butterflies featuring kingfisher feather inlay. The hairpin showcases intricate craftsmanship and was worn by Qing imperial consorts and concubines during festive occasions, ceremonies, and while dressed in formal or casual attire.
Amber and Coral Hairpin with Kingfisher Feather Inlay, Qing Dynasty,
length 14.6 cm, width 12.6 cm.
The hairpin is needle-shaped at both ends. One end is adorned with materials such as agate, white jade, and coral. The agate is crafted into six plum blossoms, with their stamens made using the cloisonné (enameling) technique. The white jade is carved into two bird figures. Cloisonné is one of the processes involved in enamel craftsmanship.
Plum Blossom White Jade Bird-Head Hairpin, Qing Dynasty,
total length 22.2cm, width 3.3cm.
Gilt-bronze Gemstone Flat-topped Crown with Openwork Double Lions Celebrating Longevity
Gilt-bronze Gemstone Flat-topped Crown with Open-work Double Lions Celebrating Longevity, Qing Dynasty, length 33.8 cm, width 6 cm, thickness 1 cm. The flat-topped crown is made of gilt-bronze and the body is decorated with openwork of the word “寿”, lions, and Panchang knots. One end is inlaid with red gemstones and the other with green gemstones. There are openwork patterns around the body and flower patterns engraved at the head.
Gilt-bronze Gemstone Flat-topped Crown with Open-work Double Lions Celebrating Longevity, Qing Dynasty, length 33.8 cm, width 6 cm, thickness 1 cm.
Blue Velvet Headband with flat stitched Dragon and Phoenix Patterns with Silver Ornaments, Late Qing Dynasty, length 39.5cm, width 53.3cm. The headband is made of blue velvet, with a narrow central strip and wider, petal-like sides. It features embroidered dragon, phoenix and cloud patterns. Silver ornaments including lotus flowers and four Buddha statues are hung. This headband was worn by noble ladies in the late Qing Dynasty and could be used to bind hair and for decoration.
Blue Velvet Headband with flat stitched Dragon and Phoenix Patterns with Silver Ornaments, Late Qing Dynasty, length 39.5cm, width 53.3cm.
Jade Thumb Ring
The thumb ring is made of purple jade and has a cylindrical shape. The thumb ring is also called "banzhi", and in ancient times it was called "archer's thumb ring". It is a device for pulling the bowstring, worn on the thumb to prevent injury while drawing the bow. Initially, it was primarily made of bone or ivory. In the Qing Dynasty, it gradually became an ornament in the hands of the wealthy and powerful officials. There are various raw materials, and jade, jadeite, gold or silver are used for precious works. Some are also decorated with patterns or engraved with poems.
Jade Thumb Ring, Qing Dynasty, diameter 3.45cm, height 2.8cm.
Bone Thumb Ring carved with Insects and Poems
Bone Thumb Ring carved with Insects and Poems, Republic of China period, diameter 2.95 cm, height 2.9 cm. The thumb ring is made of bone and cylindrical. One side features patterns of insects and plants, while the other side is engraved with Li Bai's poem "Leaving Baidi City at Dawn": "Leaving the White Emperor City among colorful clouds at dawn, I can return to Jiangling a thousand li away in a single day. With monkeys' sad adieus, the riverbanks are loud; My boat has left ten thousand mountains far away."
Bone Thumb Ring carved with Insects and Poems, Republic of China period, diameter 2.95 cm, height 2.9 cm.
Flat-topped Crown
Qing Dynasty, length 10 cm, width 3.5 cm, thickness 0.1 cm.
The Flat-topped crown was a favored head adornment of imperial concubines in the Qing Dynasty. Manchu women wore a hairstyle called "Two Buns Hairstyle," and the Flat-topped crown was used to connect and fix this style. In the Qing imperial palace, there was a great variety of Flat-topped crowns. The article "The Life of Nobles in the Late Qing Dynasty" mentions that "Manchu women usually wore the Two Buns Hairstyle, which was simple in style, with their real hair coiled on the jade or jadeite Flat-topped crown."
The Flat-topped crown, inserted horizontally on the hair bun, is similar to a hair crown, measuring 32 - 33.5 cm long, 4 cm wide, and 2–3 mm thick. It is ruler-shaped, with one end semi-circular and the other resembling a scroll. Serving as the "beam" connecting real and fake hair buns, it is mostly made of white jade or green jade, with a few made of gold, silver, or copper.
Bat Head Copper Flat-topped Crown for
Fortune and Longevity
Flat-topped crown made of copper and engraved with the words “福” and “片”. The tips are engraved with bat patterns, with the meaning of “having both fortune and longevity”.
Bat Head Copper Flat-topped Crown for Fortune and Longevity, Republic of China period, length 13 cm, width 3.25 cm.
Fortune and Longevity Patterned Silver Flat-
topped Crown
Flat-topped crown made of silver, engraved with the word “寿” and bat patterns. It has the meaning of having both fortune and longevity. There are fish patterns decorating the borders.
Fortune and Longevity Patterned Silver Flat-topped Crown, Qing dynasty, length 24 cm, width 3.4 cm, thickness 1.3 cm.
Silver Flat-topped Crown Engraved with the Four Arts of the Chinese Scholar
Flat-topped crown made of silver, engraved with images of zithers, Go, calligraphy, and paintings. There are engravings of plum blossoms and bamboo between them, with string patterns around the borders. The words “玉福” and “昇” are stamped on the back of the flat-topped crown.
The Four Arts, including zithers, Go, calligraphy, and paintings were established in the era of Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, also known as the era of Longshan culture, with the meaning of talent. Plum blossoms and bamboo symbolize a noble character.
Silver Flat-topped Crown Engraved with the Four Arts of the Chinese Scholar, Qing Dynasty, length 33.5 cm, width 3 cm, thickness 1.5 cm.
Openwork Phoenix and Peony Double Happiness
This hairpin is made of gilded copper, with an openwork design featuring phoenixes playing among peonies. The edges are engraved with string patterns, and the central section is engraved with the character "Double Happiness" (Shuang Xi). Both sides are inlaid with rubies, while one end is adorned with rubies and emeralds, and the other features shallow relief carvings of white jade floral motifs. The ends bear stamped marks, including "Dingmao" , "Jing" (Jing, meaning Beijing), "Auspicious" (Ji Xiang), and "Footprint". The entire piece is surrounded by intricate openwork semicircular patterns and engraved floral motifs. This type of hairpin was traditionally worn by brides at weddings.
Gemstone-Inlaid Gilded Copper Hairpin
Qing Dynasty, Length: 31.5 cm, Width: 5.9 cm, Thickness: 1.2 cm
Tian-tsui Accessories
Tsui, short for Tsui Yu, refers to the feather of kingfishers. Tian-tsui is a traditional craft in China which is made by sticking kingfisher feathers on gold or silver metal bases. Due to the softness of the feathers and their lasting color, Tian-tsui accessories from hundreds of years ago still remain vibrant.
Tian-tsui craftsmanship has been around has a long history in China and has continuously improved, reaching a peak in the era of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. Tian-tsui was owned mostly by the rich in the palace in the Qing Dynasty, but by the end of the Qing Dynasty and the start of the Republic of China period, tian-tsui was popularised among the common people, and women were proud to own them.
There are around 30 Qing Dynasty tian-tsui accessories on display in the Jilin Manchu Museum, such as phoenix coronets, headbands, hairpins, and headdresses, all with varying designs and exquisite craftsmanship. Among them is a jade phoenix coronet inlaid with Tian-tsui, regarded as a national first-class relic.
The crown is named for its adornment with phoenix motifs. The overall framework is made using gilded copper techniques. The decorative patterns on the crown depict 'Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl' and 'Double Phoenixes Facing the Sun'" to "The decorative patterns feature 'Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl' and 'Double Phoenixes Facing the Sun'. The phoenix feathers are accented with sky-blue kingfisher plumage, and Beneath the crown, seven phoenix birds are poised to take flight, each holding a delicate gold chain that hangs down to the forehead, with the end of the chain tied to a 'bat', symbolizing "blessings" in front of the wearer. The entire crown showcases a single-layer combination of auspicious designs, with exquisite craftsmanship that radiates a rich and elegant quality in sunlight. It is classified as a national first-class cultural relic.
The jade phoenix crown with inlaid green tails, from the Qing Dynasty, measures 17.9 cm in height and 29.9 cm in width.
The hairband is constructed from gilded copper plates, shaped like a long strip with slight curvature, lined with red fabric. The main design features two dragons and two phoenixes made of inlaid green tails, with eastern pearls symbolizing fire pearls between them. On either side of the dragons and phoenixes are butterflies inlaid with eastern pearls, and beneath the hairband are 13 strands of pearl chains. This hairband was worn by royal concubines during the Qing Dynasty, serving both to secure hair and as a decorative piece
The jade phoenix hairband with inlaid eastern pearls, also from the Qing Dynasty, measures 47.5 cm in length, 9.5 cm in width, and 9.5 cm in height.
Made of gilded copper, the hairpin has a twisted pattern. One end is needle-shaped, the middle has three hollow rings, and the other end is decorated with a jade shrimp, pearls, and kingfisher feather flowers. Two whiskers end in coral and pearls.
The shrimp symbolizes adaptability, success, and rising prosperity, resembling bamboo joints. The design is vivid, delicate, and auspicious.
Made of copper, the single-needle hairpin has one end gilded, featuring a phoenix and auspicious clouds with kingfisher feathers. The phoenix is adorned with jade and rubies, and its triple-branch tail is decorated with filigree and pearls.
Gilded copper hairpin with jade shrimp, pearls, and kingfisher feathers, Qing Dynasty, 27.4 cm long,
14.9 cm wide.
Gilded copper hairpin with phoenix, jade, pearls, and kingfisher feathers, Qing Dynasty, 29.5 cm long,
10.5 cm wide.
Made of gilded copper, the single-needle hairpin is decorated with a butterfly.
The butterfly is supported by a gilded copper base and embellished with kingfisher feathers. The antennae of the butterfly are engraved with floral patterns.
The hairpin is made of gilded copper with a single-needle structure. The handle is decorated with a three-layer arrangement of butterflies and flowers. Both the butterflies and flowers are supported by a gilded copper base, adorned with kingfisher feathers, and inlaid with three coral beads. The craftsmanship is exquisite, and the design is lively. The butterfly ("蝶diè") shares the same pronunciation as "耋diè" in Chinese, symbolizing longevity and a long life.
Hairpin with coral beads, butterfly, and kingfisher feathers, Qing Dynasty, 12.2 cm long, 6.6 cm wide, 3 cm thick.
Gilded copper hairpin with butterfly and kingfisher feathers, Qing Dynasty, 17.5 cm long, 2 cm wide.
Made of gilded copper, the hairpin has a twisted pattern. One end is needle-shaped, the middle has three hollow rings, and the other end is decorated with a jade shrimp, pearls, and kingfisher feather flowers. Two whiskers end in coral and pearls.
The shrimp symbolizes adaptability, success, and rising prosperity, resembling bamboo joints. The design is vivid, delicate, and auspicious.
The hairpin has two prongs, with a copper-gilt base. The hairpin is decorated with inlaid "囍" (Double Happiness) characters and butterfly motifs. Each end of the hairpin is inlaid with two red gemstones of different sizes. This hairpin was worn by women during their wedding, symbolizing "everlasting happiness".
Gilded copper hairpin with jade shrimp, pearls, and kingfisher feathers, Qing Dynasty, 27.4 cm long, 14.9 cm wide.
Qing dynasty, measuring 16.5cm in length and
5.1cm in width.
Qing dynasty, 12.1cm long, 6.7cm wide.