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Zan (hairpin)

簪

zan

A single-shaft hairpin of bone, jade or metal, used to hold and decorate a coiffure. One of the oldest surviving forms of Chinese personal ornament.

Not equivalent to

English “hairpin” covers several distinct Chinese forms. A zan (hairpin) is not interchangeable with Chai (two-pronged hairpin).

Worn at
hair
Requires piercing
No
Objects in catalogue
26

How to tell it apart

A zan has one shaft. A chai has two. This is the distinction English "hairpin" erases, and it matters: single-shaft and double-shaft pins were made, worn and named differently across periods.

Other types in this category

Objects of this type

Jade (nephrite) hairpin, ming dynasty, 16 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Ming DynastyJade (nephrite)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jade (nephrite) hairpin, qing dynasty, 14 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Qing DynastyJade

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jade (nephrite) hairpin, qing dynasty, 16 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Qing DynastyJade

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jade (nephrite) hairpin, qing dynasty, 16.7 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Qing DynastyJade

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jade (nephrite) hairpin, qing dynasty, 14 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Qing DynastyJade

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bone hairpin, shang and zhou dynasties, 16 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Shang and Zhou DynastiesBone

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Silver hairpin, song, liao, jin and yuan dynasties, 16.8 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hair Ornament

Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan DynastiesSilver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gilt silver hairpin, sui and tang dynasties, 14.3 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hair Ornament

Sui and Tang DynastiesGilt silver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gilt silver hairpin, sui and tang dynasties, 12.7 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hair Ornament

Sui and Tang DynastiesGilt silver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gilt silver hairpin, song, liao, jin and yuan dynasties, 2.2 cm high.

Zan (hairpin)

Hair Ornament

Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan DynastiesGilt silver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gilt silver hairpin, song, liao, jin and yuan dynasties, 2.2 cm high.

Zan (hairpin)

Hair Ornament

Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan DynastiesGilt silver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Silver hairpin, ming dynasty, 7.8 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hair Ornament

Ming DynastySilver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Silver hairpin, ming dynasty, 7 cm across.

Zan (hairpin)

Hair Ornament

Ming DynastySilver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Silver hairpin, ming dynasty, 4.8 cm across.

Zan (hairpin)

Hair Ornament

Ming DynastySilver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Silver hairpin, ming dynasty, 4.8 cm across.

Zan (hairpin)

Hair Ornament

Ming DynastySilver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gilt silver and pearl hairpin, ming dynasty, 13.3 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Ming DynastyGilt silver, pearl

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gilt silver hairpin, ming dynasty, 10.2 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Ming DynastyGilt silver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gilt silver hairpin, ming dynasty, 10.2 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Ming DynastyGilt silver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gold hairpin with a short decorative head and a single tapering shaft, Ming dynasty

Zan (hairpin)

Gold hairpin

Ming DynastyGold

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gilt silver hairpin, ming dynasty, 12.1 cm high.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Ming DynastyGilt silver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gilt silver hairpin, ming dynasty, 12.1 cm high.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Ming DynastyGilt silver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pearl, kingfisher feather and amber hairpin, qing dynasty, 26.4 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Qing DynastyMetal, amber, pearl, feathers

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pearl, kingfisher feather and amber hairpin, qing dynasty, 26 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Qing DynastyMetal, amber, pearl, feathers

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Silver hairpin, ming dynasty, 19.1 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hair Ornament

Ming DynastySilver

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Silver and glass hairpin, sui and tang dynasties, 25.1 cm long.

Zan (hairpin)

Hairpin

Sui and Tang DynastiesSilver inlaid with glass

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Hairpin, song, liao, jin and yuan dynasties, 5.4 cm high.

Zan (hairpin)

Hair ornament

Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan DynastiesLacquer, gilt wood

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sources