Gilt silver hairpin crisply decorated with plum flowers (Five Blessings 3373) and Mugwort leaves. Mugwort is a plant with Medicinal qualities the leaves of which, when dried, are used in moxibustion. Moxibustion is a practice of lighting a blob of dried Mugwort (Moxa) paste attached to the end of an acupuncture needle inserted in the skin to heat the needle. Or in some cases it is applied straight onto the skin at an acupuncture point until it blisters. Mugwort is believed to prolong life and it is one of the Hundred Treasures. The gilding of this hairpin is somewhat worn due to its age. It is marked An Ji (安记) who may have been the silversmith or retailer and it dates from the end of the Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period (1912 – 1947). Length 10.3 cm. Width 1 cm.