A Chinese jade hair ornament, bianfang,
Qing dynasty (1644-1911), of elongated flat form, each end carved with peach or finger citrons, the stone in a pale celadon tone,
15.8cm long

Bianfang were the primary hair ornaments worn by women of the, Manchu aristocracy, who typically arranged their hair in the distinctive two-bundle style (liangba tou - 'two bundle head' or 'two-fisted head'). They served as additional adornment and functioned as supports for bundled hair. After first, dividing a woman's long hair into two large bundles, the attendant would then use the ornament to fix the hair in place. During the late Qing period, black satin was used in lieu of actual hair to produce the two-bundle look, and the ornament, functioned to stabilise the attached satin bundles and base of the hair. Many of these ornaments were fashioned from jade, tortoiseshell and other materials. Some were made of gold with inlaid jade or gems, or with gilt designs.

Provenance: A, private collection in Manchester.

清 青白玉福寿纹扁方