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Three-knife hairpin 三刀簪 (one for the country, one for the family, and one for oneself) was a popular headpiece among women in the city of Fuzhou, Fujian province.

Also known as "Three Hairpins” it consists of three small swords worn like hairpins, mostly made out of silver or white copper, and engraved with patterns.

There are various theories about the origin of the Three-Knife hairpin. The most popular one claims that it evolved from small sharp weapons worn by women during the Ming Dynasty in order to defend themselves against Japanese pirates raiding China’s coastline, by killing their enemies, or even committing suicide.

Machiko Kyō

Ugetsu (1953) | 雨月物語 Princess Yang Kwei Fei (1955) | 楊貴妃 Street of Shame (1956) | 楊貴妃