shawl pin
Shawl Pin
1800-1899 (made)
1800-1899 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The shawl pins worn by native South American indians in the Andean and Patagonian regions of the continent originated with the Inca peoples. The pins might be worn in pairs on the breast, or as a single pin at the shoulder to secure a cloak. The Quechua term 'tupu' used by the Incas refers to a pair of pins worn vertically (the point upwards), joined by a chain, while the Quechua word 'ttipqui' indicates single pin worn horizontally on the shoulder. In fact, the word 'tupu' was used by foreigners from at least the seventeenth century as a general term for the shawl pins used by native women. The Franciscan missionary Fray Diego de Ocaña, writing about his visit to Chile in 1600, records that the Mapuche women wore 'a square blanket over their shoulders, gathered at the breast with a gold or silver topo'. This modern example reworks an element of traditional dress using a popular motif in the iconography of the Catholic religion: the flaming heart symbolises Christ's love for humanity.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Titles |
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Materials and techniques | Silver set with red facetted paste |
Brief description | Heart-shaped silver cloak pin set with a red paste gem, Patagonia region (Southern Chile), 1800-1899. |
Physical description | Large heart of stamped silver, slightly curved in the centre, with a border of pierced loops, and stylised flames at the top. A small facetted red paste is attached by rivets in the centre. There is a pin soldered to the top of the back and bent over to run down vertically below the lower edge. |
Dimensions |
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Credit line | Gift of HM Queen Mary |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | The shawl pins worn by native South American indians in the Andean and Patagonian regions of the continent originated with the Inca peoples. The pins might be worn in pairs on the breast, or as a single pin at the shoulder to secure a cloak. The Quechua term 'tupu' used by the Incas refers to a pair of pins worn vertically (the point upwards), joined by a chain, while the Quechua word 'ttipqui' indicates single pin worn horizontally on the shoulder. In fact, the word 'tupu' was used by foreigners from at least the seventeenth century as a general term for the shawl pins used by native women. The Franciscan missionary Fray Diego de Ocaña, writing about his visit to Chile in 1600, records that the Mapuche women wore 'a square blanket over their shoulders, gathered at the breast with a gold or silver topo'. This modern example reworks an element of traditional dress using a popular motif in the iconography of the Catholic religion: the flaming heart symbolises Christ's love for humanity. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | M.133-1916 |
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Record created | June 24, 2009 |
Record URL |
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