Ornate Japanese Kanzashi Hair Pin with Koi Fish and Beetle running man one hand and head cocked

one hand and head cocked toward the sky

this one with a lovely dark stain and slightly phallic silhouette

I found this one at a recent estate sale in Weston

No wonder that the pottery of this region is regarded as among the most beautiful in South America

Ornate Japanese Kanzashi Hair Pin with Koi Fish and Beetle running man one hand and head cockedThis 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