Silver hairpin decorated with an elongated Shou character. An elongated Shou character (changjiao shou) means ‘may you have a very long life’ (changshou) as length can be linked to Longevity. It is marked Lao Cui He (老萃和) 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 8.4 cm. Width 1 cm.