Pincushions for ornamentation; China, Qing Dynasty, 19th century.

Pincushions for ornamentation; China, Qing Dynasty, 19th century.
Gilded metal and enamel.
Measurements: 11,5 cm.
Pair of pincushions made of metal with blue enameled ornaments. Used in a decorative way this type of pieces became indispensable objects associated to the most elegant feminine dress.
The Ching or Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last of the Chinese imperial dynasties. Founded in the present-day northeast of the country by the Manchu clan in 1644, its rule ended with the abdication of the last Emperor in 1912 by the Xinhai Revolution and the establishment of the Republic of China, maintaining the capital in Beijing throughout this time. In general, traditional art forms flourished in many different and varied levels and formats, thanks to a highly educated upper class, a thriving publishing industry of books, pamphlets, etc., really prosperous cities, and the Confucian emphasis on cultivating the mind. While the Emperors themselves were, on many occasions, outstanding artists (especially in painting), the best works were carried out by schoolchildren and the urban elite.