of tapering cylindrical form with one rounded tip, the other end with a hemispherical finial, the shaft decorated with a sinuous chilong and worked with an inscription ending with Lu Zigang zhi (made by Lu Zigang), the pale beige surface with calcified areas

The hairpin is in overall good condition. There are extensive areas of calcification as visible in the catalogue photo.
"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."

In Zun sheng ba jian by the Ming scholar Gao Lian published in 1591, it was described that jade pieces by Lu Zigang from Wuzhong as archaistic, smooth, warm, charming, meticulous, and stated that Lu’s carvings were copied by contemporaries already at the time. Taicang zhou zhi published in 1642 mentioned that Lu Zigang, lived fifty years ago in the province, excelled at unprecedented jade carving technique and jade hairpins carved by him costed 50-60 units of gold. Lu’s jade pieces were said to be sought after by the Ming Court.

Deng shu-ping believes five jades in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, could be attributed to Lu Zigang, on which deliberate knife-like tool marks were found on the signatures to evoke a feeling of antiquity; see ‘Exploring "Zi-gang": Contemplation of Carved Jade Mysteries from Jiangnan in Late Ming Dynasty’, The National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, December 2011, no. 345, pp. 46-62. The five examples in the Taipei Palace Museum include a yellow jade washer with a signature comparable to that of the present lot (p. 56, fig. 6) and a celadon ‘chilong’ box and cover with a similar inscription (p. 57, fig. 8). See another jade ‘chilong’ hairpin from the late Ming also in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, inscribed with two raised characters in seal script reading Zigang, included in Art in Quest of Heaven and Truth: Chinese Jades through the Ages, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2011, p. 137, fig. 7-2-9.💜 There is a further signed white jade ‘chilong’ hairpin excavated from♕ the Wanli period tomb of Xu Yufu, Jiangsu, preserved in the Nanjing Museum.