Page 92 - Chiense Silver and Gold, 2012, J.J. Lally, New York

46. Nine Gold ‘Dragon’ and ‘Bird’ Openwork Hair Ornaments
Liao Dynasty – Song Dynasty, A.D. 10th–13th Century

each long gold wire pin attached at the back to a thin gold relief-moulded finial, including a leaping
dragon with a ‘flaming pearl’ in its open jaws enclosed within a wide floral frame surmounted by a
flying bird with long tail feathers, three similar moulded dragons shown in the same leaping pose
with tail curled over the head and each enclosed by a ‘U’-shaped floral frame, four phoenix birds
shown with wings folded and long tail feathers curled under, enclosed within matching ‘U’-shaped
floral frames, and a pair of walking geese within a matching ‘U’-shaped floral frame.
Length 2 ⁄16 to 3 ⁄16 inches (6.5 to 9.7 cm)
9
13
A group of three gold hair ornaments of this type are illustrated in line drawings by Zhu in Liao dai jinyinqi (Liao Dynasty
Gold and Silver), Beijing, 1998, p. 174, no. 116.
Another group of similar gold hair ornaments from the Muwen Tang Collection is illustrated by Kwan in Chinese Gold
Ornaments, Hong Kong, 2003, pp. 494–495, no. 336, attributed to the Ming dynasty.
遼 — 北宋 龍鳥紋鏤空金髮飾九件 長 6.5 至 9.7 厘米