Silver neck chain and attachment hooks which are decorated with little boys holding boxes. The fact that the very cute boys are holding boxes identifies them as the Gods of Peace and Harmony, also known as the ‘Laughing Twins’ (He He Erxian). He He Erxian bestow blessings on marriages and the apron chain was therefore most probably meant as a wedding gift. The attachments at the ends of the chain have hooks which went into buttonholes at the top of an apron. Aprons started to be popular during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1912) and they remained fashionable in the following centuries. The hooks are hallmarked but we can’t distinguish the mark. The chain which is of a very good quality dates from the end of the Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period (1912 – 1947). Chain: Length 54 cm. Length 2.9 cm. Width 1.5 cm. Depth without hook 0.4 cm. Total weight 38 grams.