This is a hairpin in the shape of a phoenix. At the bottom of the tail feather of the bird are two circular filigree baskets that would have likely contained diamonds or other similar stones. The phoenix is an auspicious animal in Chinese tradition and thought to depict the empress or the female in a wedding.Hairpins like this would have been made for Peranakan women in the Straits Settlements to be worn as part of a wedding headdress. A Peranakan bride would tie her hair into a bun or sanggul and individual hairpins would have been stuck in to create a headdress. This hairpin is part of a set that comes from the collection of the family of prominent philanthropists and businessmen, Tan Kim Seng and Tan Jiak Kim.
