Antique Chinese Jade Hair Ornament 18th/19th Century

A deeply carved hair ornament made from exceptionally light greyish-green nephrite jade in the form of a ruyi scepter.

 

A piece of nephrite jade that has few inclusions has been deeply cut and hand polished. It has that nice old soft finish that took so many hours to do. The jade is a nice very pale green color that borders on white. The stone seems to glow from within when backlit.  The head of the ornament is a ruyi fungus making it resemble a ruyi scepter. The decoration on the head is well rounded and has the shou symbol in the center. The back of the pin shows the undercut.

 

 

3 7/8” (9.8 cm) long x 1 1/8” (2.6 cm) wide x ¾” (1.9 cm) tall. Weighs .56 oz (15.9 g)

 

 

There are no chips, breaks, or cracks. There are several tiny very light inclusions in the middle of the handle that are very difficult to see except when you catch the light just right. There are light wear scratches over the entire surface.

 

A decorative piece of jade to add to a collection or wear. I just love these old jades.