Lot 4. Two pale green jade reticulated nail guards, 19th century. Each 7.3cm (2 7/8in) long. Sold for HK$ 102,000 (€ 10,840). © Bonhams. 

Of elongated half-cone shape with a short tubular opening tapering to a point and open at the larger end with the lower section enclosing the fingertips, the front engraved and carved with leafy lotus scrolls, the stone of even translucent white tone, box.

Note: Traditional Chinese society places aesthetic attention on women maintaining elegant long nails. It is not uncommon to find Qing dynasty nail guards made of gold and silver, some enhanced with enamel and bronze, and even of jade and glass. See an example of a gold nail guard with similar coin design in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Classics of the Forbidden City: Jewelry of the Empress and Imperial Concubines in the Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2012, pl.225, p.226.

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Art. Introducing Beauty and Beyond: Women in Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 27 May 2021.