Hair Pin
1809-1824 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
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.
Flat hair pins, like this, were worn across the back of the head to support the heavy braided hair. The decorative head stuck out at the side of the face. Ribbons were threaded through the two slits on the stem, to help hold it in place. The hand holding a flower, on its top, is typical of hair pins from the Campania region around Naples, and probably has amuletic significance. This hair pin comes from Sorrento and has silver marks which show it was made in southern Italy between 1809 and 1824.
Flat hair pins, like this, were worn across the back of the head to support the heavy braided hair. The decorative head stuck out at the side of the face. Ribbons were threaded through the two slits on the stem, to help hold it in place. The hand holding a flower, on its top, is typical of hair pins from the Campania region around Naples, and probably has amuletic significance. This hair pin comes from Sorrento and has silver marks which show it was made in southern Italy between 1809 and 1824.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cast silver with engraved decoration |
| Brief description | Flat silver hair pin (spada) with a hand holding a flower, Sorrento (Italy), 1809-1824. |
| Physical description | Hair pin, consisting of a flat strip of metal with a cast hand at one end, holding a flower. The central strip is pierced with two long rectangular holes with circles at each end, like dumbbells. Both sides of the strip are decorated with an engraved diaper pattern. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Victor Ames |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | 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. Flat hair pins, like this, were worn across the back of the head to support the heavy braided hair. The decorative head stuck out at the side of the face. Ribbons were threaded through the two slits on the stem, to help hold it in place. The hand holding a flower, on its top, is typical of hair pins from the Campania region around Naples, and probably has amuletic significance. This hair pin comes from Sorrento and has silver marks which show it was made in southern Italy between 1809 and 1824. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.367-1924 |
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| Record created | March 20, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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