The hairpin used by the nomadic people of China

The dangling hairpins, called buyao, were once widely used by women during the reign of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE).

One such artifact was unearthed in Inner Mongolia in the 1980s, later becoming a significant exhibit in the National Museum of China. The present golden buyao has the shape of an antler with a horse head, dating to the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-581 CE). Unlike the common buyao with phoenix, bird, and floral patterns prevalent in the Central Plain of China, it reflects the nomadic Xianbei people’s distinctive zoomorphic designs and artistry. The delicate thin layers of the peach-shaped leaves on the hairpin sway with every step of its wearer.