Silver fingernail guards protected the very long nails of the upper classes against breaking. The guards were a sign of the wearer's social status and showed that such a person relied on servants to carry out any wishes, as he or she could not perform manual tasks. An accidentally broken nail was a mishap verging on a tragedy. Very often nail guards were only used on the little finger and the ring finger of the right hand as it would otherwise have been impossible to hold anything. This particular pair was also meant to be worn this way. They are engraved with Peonies (Wealth and Honor) and decorated with a Coin (again Wealth) in openwork and they date from the late Qing (1644 – 1912) to the early Republic period. Length 7.7 en 7.1 cm. Diameter 1.5 cm. Total weight 7.7 grams.