Gilt silver hairpin crisply decorated with a constellation of stars and planets. Study of the heavens has been practiced by the Chinese for thousands of years. As early as by the end of the Han dynasty (220 AD) no less than 1.520 of a total of 1.565 stars in our solar system had been catalogued. We do not know a constellation like the one which is depicted on this hairpin but there are eight planets in the Solar System and the seven stars perhaps represent the ‘Big Dipper’ (斗宿) which has been used in China as a symbol of Heavenly Justice from the Tang period (AD 618 - 907) until the Republican era. The gilding of this unusual item is somewhat worn due to its age. It is marked Yang Wen Hua (楊文華) who may have been the silversmith or retailer. It dates from the end of the Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period (1912 - 1947). Length 9.2 cm. Width 1 cm.