Hair Pin
1824-1867 (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.
Hair pins were worn throughout the country, but the most numerous and interesting come from the north. They were usually worn at the back of the head, piercing and securing the thick braids of hair. They were inserted diagonally or horizontally, so that the decorative heads stuck out at the side of the face. 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.
The filigree head of this pin is typical of the region around Genoa, which was famous for its filigree work in the 19th century. It has a gold mark which shows it was made in northwest Italy between 1824 and 1872. It was bought for 12 shillings as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
Hair pins were worn throughout the country, but the most numerous and interesting come from the north. They were usually worn at the back of the head, piercing and securing the thick braids of hair. They were inserted diagonally or horizontally, so that the decorative heads stuck out at the side of the face. 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.
The filigree head of this pin is typical of the region around Genoa, which was famous for its filigree work in the 19th century. It has a gold mark which shows it was made in northwest Italy between 1824 and 1872. It was bought for 12 shillings as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold, with gold filigree |
| Brief description | Gold hair pin with filigree head, Lombardy (Italy), 1824-1867. |
| Physical description | Small hair pin with filigree head. The head consists of two slightly flattened openwork spheres with pronounced girdles, arranged vertically, with the smaller at the top. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Eagle's head facing left, in shaped frame. Note On top of pin. Translation Mark for 750 standard gold, Kingdom of Sardinia, 1824-1872. |
| Object history | Castellani Exhibition RF.2003/302 |
| 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. Hair pins were worn throughout the country, but the most numerous and interesting come from the north. They were usually worn at the back of the head, piercing and securing the thick braids of hair. They were inserted diagonally or horizontally, so that the decorative heads stuck out at the side of the face. 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. The filigree head of this pin is typical of the region around Genoa, which was famous for its filigree work in the 19th century. It has a gold mark which shows it was made in northwest Italy between 1824 and 1872. It was bought for 12 shillings as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867. |
| Bibliographic reference | 'Italian Jewellery as worn by the Peasants of Italy', Arundel Society, London, 1868, Plate 6 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 379-1868 |
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| Record created | March 20, 2009 |
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