Featured Need help with I/D

Hello again everyone had this object for many years in my collection and was wondering what it is used for I bealive it to be Japanese but maybe not it test as silver and has enamal work if anyone has any info on the hallmark that would be amazing it's 3 1/2" from tip to tip like always thanks to all for your comments.

 

let's say the silver in the middle gets covered, exposing the two ends.....a sort of hair bun decoration....?
that's just off the top of my head....

 

Yes, a bun decoration, called cucuk sanggul, Chinese or Peranakan.
The enamel is Canton enamel, so Chinese made, but possibly made for the Peranakan market. Cucuk sanggul is the name in Malay, the language spoken by most Peranakan.

The Peranakan or Straits Chinese are descendants of Chinese who intermarried with Malays and Indonesians along the Spice Route, a maritime trade route which runs from the Moluccas Islands (Spice Islands) in eastern Indonesia to Java, and on to Singapore and Malaysia.
The route continues on to India and the Middle East where it joins the overland Incense and Silk Roads, but the Peranakan are in the coastal communities of present day Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, where in times past the Chinese were allowed to set up trading posts.

 

Thank everyone for the responses I was thinking something for the hair but never thought of a bun so now I know does anyone have a idea on a approximate age or is the age stamped in the hallmark I can't read any ways thanks again for the history. Matt

 

The mark is a maker's mark. It is silver, by the way, probably .800 fineness. My guesstimate of the period is late 19th century.

Found one on Etsy, not as nice as yours:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/490533...ery=chinese+silver+hair+pin&ref=sr_gallery_21

 

Thanks any jewlery for your response was kinda hoping it was a lot older just has a very old look to it but guess not now got to translate the hallmark ,hallmarks are always a pain. Thanks again.