Ornamental Hair Pin

This type of hairpin represented social status according to their shapes and materials; it also played a role in fixing the crown on the head. Queens used gilt pins in the shape of a dragon; princesses wore gilt ones in the shape of a phoenix; women of noble families wore gilt or black ones in the shapes of frogs. In the court these pins were worn all the time, showing the ranks; upper-class people, however, wore them only for special occasions.