A GOLD 'CHRYSANTHEMUM' HAIR ORNAMENT MING DYNASTY

finely executed in gold filigree with a small flower head surrounded by chrysanthemum blooms and palmettes rising from delicately twisted wires, intricately arranged in overlapping layers around the central flower and soldered on a thin gold disc  

Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C., 1954-55, cat.no. 69.

Bo Gyllensvard, Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1953, cat.nos. 69.
Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Ulricehamn, 1999, cat.no. 61.
A Botanical Excursion in the Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1965, pl. 24b.

There may have been a bead or pearl in the centre that is now missing. The petals are slighty bent, but the overall condition is still quite good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Compare a group of twelve hair ornaments each modelled as a small flower head, illustrated in Simon Kwan and Sun Ji, Chinese Gold Ornaments, Hong Kong, 2003, pl.317.  See another hair ornament, with the flower head similarly formed by delicate overlapping layers, in ibid., pl. 373.