Hairpin

ID:

559

Production date:

Roman; c. 69-96

Location:

In Store

A bone hairpin of elegant design. The head is carved and decorated with a bust portrait of a wealthy Roman woman, possibly an empress; the drapery is well modelled as is also the hair which is surmounted by the imperial diadem.  < ...Read more

A bone hairpin of elegant design. The head is carved and decorated with a bust portrait of a wealthy Roman woman, possibly an empress; the drapery is well modelled as is also the hair which is surmounted by the imperial diadem.

The design is testament to the elaborate imperial hairstyles that women throughout the Roman Empire would have hoped to emulate. Styles such as this, with high fronts and tiers, were most common during the Flavian Dynasty, AD 69-96. Many hairpins, such as this example, would have been used to support and ornament these styles.

A near identical piece can be found in the British Museum. Both pieces would have probably come from the same workshop in Roman London. < Hide

Measurements

L 200.5 mm; W (head) 18.7; Max W (shaft) 6.3 mm

Materials

bone

Last Updated

2024-03-26