A Peranakan woman, also known as Nonya, would traditionally tie her waist-long hair into a coiled bun, which would be held in place with hairpins. The hairpin studded with pearls was used during the mourning period of three years, when richly coloured fashions were exchanged for more sombre ensembles. It is possible that the hairpin with granulated beads was also a piece of mourning jewellery.
