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China Fingernail Protectors Silver with pearls and gemstones, 19th century Qing dynasty 3 1/8 x 9/16 in. Bequest from the estate of Elsie S. Kimberly 1966:154 a-b

Fingernail protectors were worn by a very elite group–Manchu court ladies of the late Qing dynasty. Although scholars of Chinese costumes usually date fingernail protectors to the Qing dynasty, they are in fact characteristic only of the late 19th century. Portraits of early Qing court ladies show natural fingernails. Late Qing rulers, however, pursued a life of absolute luxury. For example, photographs and portraits of Empress Jixi (1835-1908) show her wearing two or three nail shields on each of her hands–a sign of her ability to rely upon servants to carry out any of her wishes, as she herself could perform no manual tasks.

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