Hair Pin thumbnail 1
Hair Pin thumbnail 2
+1
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Jewellery, Rooms 91 to 93 mezzanine, The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery

Hair Pin

1872-1922 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Dalmatian goldsmiths were famous throughout the Balkans for their fine work. They lived in cities such as Dubrovnik, and specialised in gilding and filigree.

In the 19th century Dalmatia was a province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It stretched from Trieste (now in Italy) to the borders of modern Albania. The traditional jewellery shows traces of the many cultures which influenced the region. On the coast, which had never been part of the Ottoman Empire, the women used elaborate filigree hair pins, like those worn in northern Italy, when wearing traditional costume.

Dalmatian filigree hairpins are usually very large and heavy, compared to those from elsewhere in Europe. They often have a band of decorative wire round the middle, which is rare for Italian hair pins. These pins are marked with Austro-Hungarian silver marks for the period 1872-1922. The town mark is indistinct, but may be that of Trieste.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Pin
  • Pin
Materials and techniques
Silver filigree
Brief description
Pair of silver hair pins (špiode) with a filigree head, Dalmatia (Croatia), 19th century.
Physical description
Pair of hair pins with a large spherical filigree head decorated with granules and discs, with a band of braided wire round the centre.
Dimensions
  • Length: 15.5cm
  • Diameter: 3.6cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • eagle's head in hexagonal frame with '4' and illegible letter. (On base of pin.)
    Translation
    Mark for 750 standard silver, Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1872-1922
  • 'GJ' in square frame (On base of pin.)
    Translation
    Unknown maker's mark
Credit line
Given by B. H. Jackson
Summary
Dalmatian goldsmiths were famous throughout the Balkans for their fine work. They lived in cities such as Dubrovnik, and specialised in gilding and filigree.

In the 19th century Dalmatia was a province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It stretched from Trieste (now in Italy) to the borders of modern Albania. The traditional jewellery shows traces of the many cultures which influenced the region. On the coast, which had never been part of the Ottoman Empire, the women used elaborate filigree hair pins, like those worn in northern Italy, when wearing traditional costume.

Dalmatian filigree hairpins are usually very large and heavy, compared to those from elsewhere in Europe. They often have a band of decorative wire round the middle, which is rare for Italian hair pins. These pins are marked with Austro-Hungarian silver marks for the period 1872-1922. The town mark is indistinct, but may be that of Trieste.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.37&A-1951

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Record createdApril 15, 2003
Record URL
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