Lot 6. A gold filigree gemstone-mounted double-gourd hairpin, 18th-19th century; 12.5cm (4 7/8in) long. Sold for HK$ 63,750 (€ 6,775). © Bonhams.

The gemstone-embellished terminal formed as a delicately worked double-gourd bordered with two layers of dense ruyi-cloud-scroll filigree, all secured to the tapering shaft finely detailed as a tree trunk extended to a repousse cloud, a filigree ruyi-head and a leaf enclosing a blue gemstone, box.

Note: Gold filigree hairpins inset with gemstones such as the present lot was known as zan, and were popular from the Ming dynasty onwards and often wore by the empress and Imperial concubines during the Qing dynasty, see a number of closely related gold and gemstone-inset hairpins in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Treasures of Imperial Court, Hong Kong, 2004, no.128-131.

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