Pair of gilt silver hairpins in the shape of dragons with seed pearl eyes. They are mounted on springs which means that they moved when the owner was walking. Dragons are symbols of Fertility as they are believed to bring rain. These dragons retain part of their inlay with Kingfisher feathers. Decorating jewelry with Kingfisher feathers was so popular in China during the late 19th century and early 20th century that the bird was almost hunted to extinction. The hairpins date from the late Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period (1912 – 1947). Height 11.5 cm. Width 7.0 cm. Depth 0.5 cm.