Italian women have always loved lavish display. Even for the poorest, a rich show of jewellery was all important. Italian goldsmiths were expert at making a little material go a very long way. Many pieces seem too large to wear comfortably, but they are usually made of very thin metal, and are much lighter than they appear.

In Italy the way a woman dressed her hair, and the jewellery she used to fasten and decorate it, conveyed many meanings. It described her marital status and might help to protect her from spiritual harm, as well as showing off her wealth. Hair pins were the sign of a respectable married woman in Italy. They were first worn at the wedding, and after that on feast days and special occasions. Only the unmarried and prostitutes wore their hair loose.

Hair pins were worn throughout the country. They were usually worn at the back of the head, piercing and securing the thick braids of hair. The number of pins worn varied by district. In some places they were worn all round the head, like a fan, but the largest were usually worn singly or in pairs, inserted diagonally or horizontally, so that the decorative heads stuck out at the side of the face.

This hair pin comes from Latium, the area around Rome. It was bought as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.