Hallmarks on the Back of Hairpins
Most of the hairpins in our collections were originally bought from a silversmith's shop or jeweller's. The shop would often have their own signature that they leave on the hairpins they sold. This would show who made the hairpin and sometimes also the purity of the metal used. These would be similar to the hallmarks placed on silver and gold objects made in Europe. European hallmarks on precious metals date back to the 13th century and would include the maker's name, the purity, the place where the purity was assayed, and perhaps a date.
In Chinese hairpins, in addition to the name of the shop and the metal purity they might also mark other important clues about the history of the hairpin. Clues such as the individual maker's name - or even the name of the person who owned the hairpin. If we know how to read these signs we can discover some of the story behind the hairpins.
In Chinese hairpins, in addition to the name of the shop and the metal purity they might also mark other important clues about the history of the hairpin. Clues such as the individual maker's name - or even the name of the person who owned the hairpin. If we know how to read these signs we can discover some of the story behind the hairpins.
髮簪上的落款
大部分的髮簪都由銀樓或是銀匠處製作或購買，銀樓通常有自己的落款，以證明此髮簪是本兼銀樓所售出，或是證明誰製造了此髮簪，或是標記此金屬的成分。中國的落款就像歐洲銀器上的印記"hallmarks",標記製作的地點和成分，年份等等。
我們可以從髮簪上的落款去讀出這之髮簪的故事，追溯髮簪的根源，甚至跟據相同的落款，找出同樣銀樓所製作不同年代的髮簪，髮簪的故事和血統的追溯，從此開始。
我們可以從髮簪上的落款去讀出這之髮簪的故事，追溯髮簪的根源，甚至跟據相同的落款，找出同樣銀樓所製作不同年代的髮簪，髮簪的故事和血統的追溯，從此開始。
款－双奐－的故事 Two Stories Behind the Marks -双奐
Here are two hairpins that were acquired at different times and in different places. The stamped mark on the back "双奐" is identical in every detail. So, we can assume that these tgwo hairpins were made in the same workshop somewhere in China. The one on the left comes from a grave and there was originally a lot of corrosion covering the details of the mark. To make sure the marks were identical the corrosion was carefully cleaned under a microscope.
There were some minute flaws and scratches in the steel punch used to make the mark - giving a so-called "tool signature". The tool signature is exactly the same in each mark (see pictures below). It may be possible to trace other hairpins from this workshop using this tool signature. If we look carefully at hairpins we can tell an interesting story about their origins.
下圖兩髮簪，是在不同地不同時間所取得。根據背後的落款，皆顯示"双奐"。
圖左的款髮簪為出土物，圖右的髮簪為傳世品。故圖左髮簪的款中佈滿了銹蝕。為更清楚比對此兩者"双奐"是否為同間銀樓所製，故稍將將款中的腐蝕物清潔，並比對其落款印章的特徵，確定此兩件髮簪為同間銀樓所出品。
There were some minute flaws and scratches in the steel punch used to make the mark - giving a so-called "tool signature". The tool signature is exactly the same in each mark (see pictures below). It may be possible to trace other hairpins from this workshop using this tool signature. If we look carefully at hairpins we can tell an interesting story about their origins.
下圖兩髮簪，是在不同地不同時間所取得。根據背後的落款，皆顯示"双奐"。
圖左的款髮簪為出土物，圖右的髮簪為傳世品。故圖左髮簪的款中佈滿了銹蝕。為更清楚比對此兩者"双奐"是否為同間銀樓所製，故稍將將款中的腐蝕物清潔，並比對其落款印章的特徵，確定此兩件髮簪為同間銀樓所出品。
What the Marks Show 落款內容
Name of the Silversmith's Shop 店鋪(銀樓)名稱
Some stamps give the name of the silversmith's shop so we can trace the town, street or shop that the hairpin came from. Look at the punched marks in the gallery below. Some of them come from matching pairs of hairpins and therefore have the same mark on them. Can you find them?
銀樓製作完成後，會將自己的店號利用小戳章敲擊，蓋在物品的背面或不明顯處，一來證明為其製品負責，二來也可具有保固、退還或變賣之效用。
下圖有幾支髮簪，來自相同名字的作坊，如圖一二的萬聚，但其款的字形大小卻完全不同。另有幾對髮簪，因成對故是由同間銀樓所製作。找找看，看看找不找得出來。
銀樓製作完成後，會將自己的店號利用小戳章敲擊，蓋在物品的背面或不明顯處，一來證明為其製品負責，二來也可具有保固、退還或變賣之效用。
下圖有幾支髮簪，來自相同名字的作坊，如圖一二的萬聚，但其款的字形大小卻完全不同。另有幾對髮簪，因成對故是由同間銀樓所製作。找找看，看看找不找得出來。
The Individual Maker's Name 銀匠姓名
Sometimes the individual silversmith who made the hairpin would mark his name on it to show that it was him made it. Perhaps some silversmiths were known for their exquisite designs or quality of workmanship.
有的樓名稱就是銀匠的姓名，除了店號外，亦可見將製作者的姓名打在銀器上者。除了製作者外，另一種說法或可能性，若出現女人名，有可能是該定製或佩戴飾品的主人姓名。
有的樓名稱就是銀匠的姓名，除了店號外，亦可見將製作者的姓名打在銀器上者。除了製作者外，另一種說法或可能性，若出現女人名，有可能是該定製或佩戴飾品的主人姓名。
The Purity of the Metal 金屬純度
These stamps really are hallmarks in the European sense. They mark the purity of the metal, such as "pure silver". In Chinese culture gold was not usually alloyed with other metals when making jewellery so there were not so many different "qualities" that were tested for such as 9 carat, 14 carat and 18 carat golds. Unlike in European hallmarks where an independent office controlled by the king checked the purity of the metal the purity marks on the hairpins was probably put there by the maker or the jewellery shop. It is not clear what penalties there were, if any, for cheating and selling poor quality metals under a false mark. However, in a small community in Ching Dynasty China a bad reputation would have been a disaster for the business concerned.
除店號外，部分店家亦會打上其物品之成分，如紋銀，足銀，或製作方法如雙鍍等
除店號外，部分店家亦會打上其物品之成分，如紋銀，足銀，或製作方法如雙鍍等
All of the marks shown above were struck onto the metal at the jeweller's shop or silversmith's workshop. They were struck with steel punches that had been hardened and tempered to be long-lasting and give a sharp pattern. These punches were probably made by the silversmiths themselves and we can see that some punches were made by punching the character's brushstrokes into the unhardened steel. Others were possibly carved. The person making the punch would have to "write" the characters in reverse - like in a mirror so that the mark on the finished hairpin would be the right way round.
Place Name 銀樓製造地地名
Some marks give the place name and show in which town or city it was made.
Owner's Name 主人姓名
Some hairpins show marks or inscriptions that were not made by a professional punch. Here, they may have been made by the owner of the hairpin or the person who gave the hairpin as a gift. On the hairpin below the owner must be have been a girl named "月枝". 月枝 is a girl's name so we can at least guess something about who owned and wore this hair ornament.
這個可能為一位名叫＂月枝＂的女性所擁有的髮簪。
這個可能為一位名叫＂月枝＂的女性所擁有的髮簪。
Date it Was Made 製作年分
Very occasionally, a hairpin bears a date. In the picture below the hairpin is dated 甲辰年. In the Chinese calender this could be in 1904 or 1844 or 1784. This hairpin is very special because from this date we can guess how old it is.
落款落有時間者較罕見，通常為製作日期或是特殊日子才會將時間標記在簪上。中國古代紀年為天干地支，故若落款時間則會以干支來呈現。
如圖中甲辰年，則可能是1904年或1844年或1784年。
落款落有時間者較罕見，通常為製作日期或是特殊日子才會將時間標記在簪上。中國古代紀年為天干地支，故若落款時間則會以干支來呈現。
如圖中甲辰年，則可能是1904年或1844年或1784年。
Unidentified Stamps 花款
Some hairpins have marks where we cannot tell what the pattern or words mean. If you have any ideas or clues about what the marks below are, please contact us.
How to Make the Mark? 落款方式
Here are some examples of different ways to make the mark. Some of them use punches, some of them are engraved, some are chased with a fine punch. On the lacquer hairpins the craftsman (or craftswoman) signed their work in lacquer.
Punched 印章落款
Use of a steel punch to make the mark. The left stamp is "陽刻" or "Yángkè". The characters are in positive relief - that means they stand proud of the surface. Right side one is "陰刻" "Yīnkè". The characters are in negative relief - that means they are sunk into the metal. These terms are familiar to westerners as the Yin and Yang of Tai-Chi symbol and as the philosophical opposites of positive and negative, male and female. In the same way male and female are used to describe engineering and electrical components where a positive or convex component fits inside a negative, concave component.
利用鐵製的小鑿子，類似印章，上刻有店家名號，在物品完成後，在背面或不顯眼處利用鐵鎚敲打，將名字落在物品上，使物品該處呈現凹陷，印章有陰雕與陽雕兩種，所呈現的效果也不相同。在物品久經使用，在其凹陷處會有汙漬或是腐蝕，這樣反而可以使落款看得更清楚。
利用鐵製的小鑿子，類似印章，上刻有店家名號，在物品完成後，在背面或不顯眼處利用鐵鎚敲打，將名字落在物品上，使物品該處呈現凹陷，印章有陰雕與陽雕兩種，所呈現的效果也不相同。在物品久經使用，在其凹陷處會有汙漬或是腐蝕，這樣反而可以使落款看得更清楚。
Engraving 手刻落款
In the examples below the characters are engraved or incised (cut into). When metal is engraved a narrow strip of the metal is removed with a sharp tool. This is much more skillful work than using a punch because it is very easy to make a mistake and seriously damage the jewellery.
有些較陽春的落款是用雕刻刀直接在物件表面雕刻出文字，此種字體較潦草也較隨意。
有些較陽春的落款是用雕刻刀直接在物件表面雕刻出文字，此種字體較潦草也較隨意。
Inscribed Dots 點狀落款
This is a very simple but sometimes very effective way of writing on metal. It requires little skill and very simple tools - it can be done with a simple nail and a small hammer. A line of punched dots is made that outline the characters. Only good eyesight is required. It is a kind of chasing, except in chasing the punch is not lifted from the metal between strikes with the hammer.
利用前為尖銳的小釘子或是鑿子，一點一點的描繪出國字線條，寫出落款店家的名號。
利用前為尖銳的小釘子或是鑿子，一點一點的描繪出國字線條，寫出落款店家的名號。
