Ornate Japanese Kanzashi Hair Pin with Koi Fish and Beetle cheese plate facing in alternating directions from

facing in alternating directions from one row to the next

I believe for brushing hair off of the neck after a haircut

" referring to Leo Castelli

13 7/8" long x 1 1/2" wide x 7/8" deep

to mark passage from exterior to interior

Ornate Japanese Kanzashi Hair Pin with Koi Fish and Beetle cheese plate facing in alternating directions fromThis old hair ornament is amazing! I had thought it was Chinese, as I found others it closely resembles attributed as such, but now I'm pretty confident it is Japanese, where it called a Kanzashi, and dates to the early 20th century. I am completely enchanted by its intricate nest of forms, among which I spot a koi fish, a beetle, a butterfly, and various leaf and flower forms, and then an iridescent round bead, and a sculptural piece of what I think