Nail guard is an accessory worn by women.
they originate from the Ming dynasty
Both men and women of the nobility in ancient China wore their nails long. Long nails were seen as a symbol of wealth as it meant they did not have to do manual labor. (even nowadays you will see men in Asia with very long pinky nails, which is seen as status symbol of wealth and the fact that they don’t have to work with their hands.)
wearing the nail guard is a sign of power and beauty for ancient Chinese women.
Some say this historical jewelry also implies the meaning as a tool to forbidden ancient women to use their fingertips to touch, explore and feel thing especially the body.
Nail guards were usually made from metals or shells, sometimes also jade. Historical artifacts show that they are usually made of gold, silver, bronze, or gilded metal, and embedded with pearls, precious stones or kingfisher feather. a fingernail guard proclaimed the wearers social status.
measuring from 3cm to almost 15cm in length, the guard came in pairs crafted to fit over the little finger and the ring finger , the right hand pair usually different from the left hand pair.
