Silver hairpin decorated with an embossed and enameled flower pot. It is marked with the name Tian Ji (天吉) who may have been the silversmith or retailer and there is also a mark ‘Zu Wen’ (足文) which means ‘silver’. Did a flower originally form part of the design and did it break off? The plant looks a little 'out of balance'. The hairpin dates from the late Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period (1912 – 1947). Length 10.3 cm. Width 1.3 cm.