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Museum Hours
Thu: 1 PM–8 PM
Fri–Mon: 10 AM–5 PM
Tue–Wed: Closed
Location
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415.581.3500
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Activity

Design an Auspicious Hairpin

Would you put fungus in your hair? You might want to after learning about the meaning of the lingzhi fungus in Chinese culture. Find out why you might want to put a peach in your hair, as well, and then design your own auspicious (lucky) hairpin!

Jade hatpin.
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Jade hairpin

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Long hairpin with sacred fungus, bat, box and lotus, and double happiness characters (shuangxi) China. approx. 1800-1900.  Qing Dynasty. Asian Art Museum, Gift of Richard P. Arens. 2000.18.3.
Jade hatpin.
Long hairpin with sacred fungus, bat, box and lotus, and double happiness characters (shuangxi) China. approx. 1800-1900.  Qing Dynasty. Asian Art Museum, Gift of Richard P. Arens. 2000.18.3.

Directions

  1. Download the attached pdf of the hairpin template and the background on Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art.
  2. Look through the provided image gallery of Chinese hairpins, and use the information in the Hidden Meanings pdf to identify the auspicious symbols.
  3. Then think about which auspicious symbols you’d choose for your own hairpin.
  4. Draw your chosen symbols into the undecorated hairpin template.

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