Decorated metal hair ornament consisting of a tongue of white metal with impressed characters and geometric design. One end rounded, the other end turned upon itself to form a cylinder, the ends of which are sealed by flower-like discs. The nine characters on the ornament are two different written forms of the Chinese character 壽 ‘shou’, which refers to longevity. The ‘shou’ character can be presented in numerous shapes, each one with its own meaning. The round ‘shou’ suggests complete and perfect life and health, while the ‘shou’ in a longer shape emphasises more the concept of ‘long-lasting’ life.
See Garrett, V.M. (1997) A Collectors guide to Chinese Dress accessories, page 77.
