Hair Pin
late 14th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is an ivory gravoir with a crowned lion at its top, made in North Italy in the late fourteenth century.
The gravoir, also described as a broche or discernibulum in medieval documents, was used to part the hair and in some cases was worn as a large hairpin.
In the period between 1300 and 1325 workshops in Paris enjoyed a thriving market for secular ivory carvings. They produced mirror-cases, combs and gravoirs (hair parters), often selling them as sets in leather dressing cases. Subjects from romance literature appeared frequently, as did the allegorical Siege of the Castle of Love.
Ivory combs, together with mirror cases and gravoirs for parting the hair, formed an essential part of the trousse de toilette or étui (dressing case) of the typical wealthy lady or gentleman in the Gothic period. Considering the original ubiquity of such combs and in comparison with ivory mirror cases, a surprisingly small number survive from the fourteenth century.
The gravoir, also described as a broche or discernibulum in medieval documents, was used to part the hair and in some cases was worn as a large hairpin.
In the period between 1300 and 1325 workshops in Paris enjoyed a thriving market for secular ivory carvings. They produced mirror-cases, combs and gravoirs (hair parters), often selling them as sets in leather dressing cases. Subjects from romance literature appeared frequently, as did the allegorical Siege of the Castle of Love.
Ivory combs, together with mirror cases and gravoirs for parting the hair, formed an essential part of the trousse de toilette or étui (dressing case) of the typical wealthy lady or gentleman in the Gothic period. Considering the original ubiquity of such combs and in comparison with ivory mirror cases, a surprisingly small number survive from the fourteenth century.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Carved elephant ivory |
| Brief description | Hairpin, carved ivory, surmounted by the crowned figure of a lion, North Italy, late 14th century |
| Physical description | Carved ivory hairpin surmounted by the crowned figure of a crouching lion. A lion with a crown on his head and with its tail curled round its right hind leg crouches on top of a rectangular capital with stylised leaves. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | From the Webb Collection. Bought in 1861 for 9s. 3d. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This is an ivory gravoir with a crowned lion at its top, made in North Italy in the late fourteenth century. The gravoir, also described as a broche or discernibulum in medieval documents, was used to part the hair and in some cases was worn as a large hairpin. In the period between 1300 and 1325 workshops in Paris enjoyed a thriving market for secular ivory carvings. They produced mirror-cases, combs and gravoirs (hair parters), often selling them as sets in leather dressing cases. Subjects from romance literature appeared frequently, as did the allegorical Siege of the Castle of Love. Ivory combs, together with mirror cases and gravoirs for parting the hair, formed an essential part of the trousse de toilette or étui (dressing case) of the typical wealthy lady or gentleman in the Gothic period. Considering the original ubiquity of such combs and in comparison with ivory mirror cases, a surprisingly small number survive from the fourteenth century. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 7500-1861 |
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| Record created | September 2, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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