Silver hairpin depicting boys in several pursuits on two medallions. We don’t know what the two boys on the round medallion are doing. The other medallion looks like a theatre and all boys are wearing theatrical hats. One boy lifts a leg which is symbolic for making a career. Another boy carries a lantern (Peace) while another waves a fan (Longevity & Goodness). Yet another boy is raising something over his head which looks like a kite reel (see Quick Find 6380). A boy flying a kite is a pun ‘May you rise high with the spring wind’ (chunfeng deyi). The boy at the bottom has a round object in front of him. Is it a ball? Rocks (Longevity) and Bamboo (Humility & Fidelity) complement the picture. The hairpin is marked with two names, Wei Tai (围泰) and Wen (文) which may have been silversmith and retailer. It dates from the late Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period (1912 – 1947). Length 21.0 cm. Width 3.5 cm.