Pins in Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance

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This set of links groups medieval pins by type, and provides images of paintings and portraits that have sufficient detail to allow you to view pins in clothing and headdresses. Iron pin, another iron pin, and a bronze pin from a Roman fort in Roxburghshire, c. 80-180 Irish or Pictish silver disc-headed pin (British Museum 1888,0719.100), 5th-6th century Silver pin with polyhedral head, Merovingian, first half of the 6th century Wooden dress pin, found in Ayrshire, dating to c. 585-630 Bone pins Bone pin found at Jarlshof in Shetland, c. 500-850 Bone pin carved with a cross, found at Jarlshof in Shetland, c. 600-1000 Bone pin from a Viking boy's grave in the Outer Hebrides, c. 600-1000 Animal-headed Pictish pin found on the island of Kerrara, c. 700-900 Bone pin found at Jarlshof in Shetland, c. 850-1100 Bone pin (for fastening a cloak?), Viking Britain (British Museum M&ME 1893,6-18,72) Bone pin from Orkney, c. 850-1000 Bone pin carved with a cross, found at Jarlshof in Shetland, c. 850-1100 Hipped bone pin (MoL A92), 9th-12th century Incomplete bone pin with engraving on the triangular head (MoL A13556), 11th century Bone pin with a flattened expanded head (MoL A14526), 11th century Bone pin with a square flattened head (MoL 20247), 11th-12th century Medieval bone pin (MoL 17013) Thin curved bone pin (MoL 16991), 14th-15th century Bone pin with two-flanged shank (MoL16992), 14th-15th century Bone pin with a diamond knop head (MoL 16993), 15th century Handpins Bronze handpin, Ireland, 6th-7th century Bronze handpin of an Irish type, found in Argyll, c. 500-700 Silver handpin with red enamel ornament and a Pictish symbol on the back from the Norrie's Law hoard, c. 600-700 Silver handpin with red enamel ornament from the Norrie's Law hoard, c. 600-700 Merovingian pins Spatula-headed pin with incised decorations and geometric motifs (Musée Départemental de l'Oise A90.2401), 5th century Spatula-headed pin with globule decorations (Saint-Germain-en-Laye MAN87221) Pin with beads and filligree (Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire B4381) Pin (detail) (Louvre MAN24579), 6th century Pin (alternate view) (Louvre MAN14161), c. 550-600 Gold pin with a garnet (back) (Musée National du Moyen Âge 668) Pair of gold veil-pins of Queen Aregund (another view and another view) (Saint-Germain-en-Laye MAN87429), c. 570 Large dress pin of Queen Aregund with garnets (detail) (Saint-Germain-en-Laye MAN87425), c. 570 Viking-era ringed pins Early medieval knobbed ring pin from Caerwent (Newport Museum & Art Gallery NPTMG:1984.33) Bronze knobbed ringed pin from the Inner Hebrides, c. 850-900 Bronze pin from a woman's grave in the Inner Hebrides, c. 850-900 Bronze pin from a Viking woman's grave in Orkney, c. 850-950 Bronze pin from the Inner Hebrides, c. 875-925 Bronze pin from a man's grave in the Inner Hebrides, c. 875-950 Bronze pin from Caithness, c. 900-1000 Ringed pin from Orkney, c. 940-1025 Viking Age ringed pins from Denmark (Acta Archaeologica 71(1), 79-85, Nov. 2000) Viking ringed pin from Portskewett (Newport Museum & Art Gallery NPTMG:92.16) Early medieval spiral headed pin from Caerwent (Newport Museum & Art Gallery NPTMG:84.161) Bronze pin of an Irish type, found on the Outer Hebrides, dating to c. 875-1100 Silver pin with polyhedral head, from Shetland, c. 900-1100 Clothing pins from Novgorod, 12th-14th century And, for to festne his hood under his chyn, He hadde of gold ywroght a curious pyn; A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was. General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, description of the Monk, ll. 195-197 Pins found in London; glass heads (1150-1200), red coral heads (1270-1350), and pewter heads (1150-1200) Medieval pins found in London with heads made from red stone, probably jasper: MoL CUS73[I12]<48> and CUS73[V8]<95> A copper alloy pin from Urquhart Castle, Inverness-shire, 13th-14th century Pins and pin-case of Hermann von Goch, c. 1398 Bronze pin found at Threave Castle, 14th or 15th century Spherical-headed ivory pin (MoL 16994), 15th century The hair and headdress on a Profile Portrait of a Lady, c. 1410 Veil pins on Portrait of Marie de Pacy by Robert Campin, c. 1425 Veil pins on the wife of Peter Engelbrecht in the left wing of the Mérode Altarpiece by Robert Campin, c. 1427 Veil pins in Portrait of a Woman by Robert Campin, c. 1435 Veil pin on Portrait of a Woman by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1440 Sleeve pin on Mary Magdalene on the Braque Family Triptych by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1450 In the occupations of makyng of Cloth, the Laborers therof have been dryven to take grete part of their wages in Pynnes, Girdels, and other unprofitable Merchaundise. The Rolls of Parliament, 5.502b Veil pins in Portrait of a Lady by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1460 Veil pins and a neckline pin in Portrait of a Lady by the workshop of Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1460 A pin attaching a pendant to the headdress of Mary of Burgundy by Michael Pacher, c. 1490; see also KHM GG_4402 (after 1500), KHM GG_4400 (after 1500) and Met 1975.1.137 (1528) Silver pin made in 16th century Augsburg Tudor dress pins Dress pin (Portable Antiquities Scheme LIN-D2CE06): “Dress pin with silver shaft, spherical hollow-cast head with two hemispheres, each with circlets in filigree and small projecting knops; the head and top of shaft gilt. Deliberately bent for use.” Silver gilt tudor dress pin found at Somerton Tudor silver-gilt dress pin Tudor silver-gilt dress pin (Winchester Museum WINCM:AY 224), found at Exton, Hampshire Tudor dress pins sold by Timeless Auctions: lots 0522, 0872, 975, 1100 Tudor dress pin Rare Tudor dress pin, second half of the 16th century: “the silver pin (intentionally bent) with silver-gilt head applied with wire decoration” The Pin-Maker, Das Ständebuch, 1568 Pins from the Cheapside Hoard: a gold pin in the shape of a shepherd's crook enamelled and set with 14 turquoise stones (MoL A14123) and a gold pin with a decorative head in the form of a single-masted ship, the hull fashioned from a baroquoe pearl (MoL A14205)

Pins

Material Culture in London in an Age of Transition: Tudor and Stuart Period Finds c. 1450-1700 from Excavations at Riverside Sites in Southwark

This set of links groups medieval pins by type, and provides images of paintings and portraits that have sufficient detail to allow you to view pins in clothing and headdresses.

Iron pin, another iron pin, and a bronze pin from a Roman fort in Roxburghshire, c. 80-180
Irish or Pictish silver disc-headed pin (British Museum 1888,0719.100), 5th-6th century
Silver pin with polyhedral head, Merovingian, first half of the 6th century
Wooden dress pin, found in Ayrshire, dating to c. 585-630

Bone pins

Bone pin found at Jarlshof in Shetland, c. 500-850
Bone pin carved with a cross, found at Jarlshof in Shetland, c. 600-1000
Bone pin from a Viking boy's grave in the Outer Hebrides, c. 600-1000
Animal-headed Pictish pin found on the island of Kerrara, c. 700-900
Bone pin found at Jarlshof in Shetland, c. 850-1100
Bone pin (for fastening a cloak?), Viking Britain (British Museum M&ME 1893,6-18,72)
Bone pin from Orkney, c. 850-1000
Bone pin carved with a cross, found at Jarlshof in Shetland, c. 850-1100
Hipped bone pin (MoL A92), 9th-12th century
Incomplete bone pin with engraving on the triangular head (MoL A13556), 11th century
Bone pin with a flattened expanded head (MoL A14526), 11th century
Bone pin with a square flattened head (MoL 20247), 11th-12th century
Medieval bone pin (MoL 17013)
Thin curved bone pin (MoL 16991), 14th-15th century
Bone pin with two-flanged shank (MoL16992), 14th-15th century
Bone pin with a diamond knop head (MoL 16993), 15th century

Handpins

Bronze handpin, Ireland, 6th-7th century
Bronze handpin of an Irish type, found in Argyll, c. 500-700
Silver handpin with red enamel ornament and a Pictish symbol on the back from the Norrie's Law hoard, c. 600-700
Silver handpin with red enamel ornament from the Norrie's Law hoard, c. 600-700

Merovingian pins

Spatula-headed pin with incised decorations and geometric motifs (Musée Départemental de l'Oise A90.2401), 5th century
Spatula-headed pin with globule decorations (Saint-Germain-en-Laye MAN87221)
Pin with beads and filligree (Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire B4381)
Pin (detail) (Louvre MAN24579), 6th century
Pin (alternate view) (Louvre MAN14161), c. 550-600
Gold pin with a garnet (back) (Musée National du Moyen Âge 668)
Pair of gold veil-pins of Queen Aregund (another view and another view) (Saint-Germain-en-Laye MAN87429), c. 570
Large dress pin of Queen Aregund with garnets (detail) (Saint-Germain-en-Laye MAN87425), c. 570

Viking-era ringed pins

Early medieval knobbed ring pin from Caerwent (Newport Museum & Art Gallery NPTMG:1984.33)
Bronze knobbed ringed pin from the Inner Hebrides, c. 850-900
Bronze pin from a woman's grave in the Inner Hebrides, c. 850-900
Bronze pin from a Viking woman's grave in Orkney, c. 850-950
Bronze pin from the Inner Hebrides, c. 875-925
Bronze pin from a man's grave in the Inner Hebrides, c. 875-950
Bronze pin from Caithness, c. 900-1000
Ringed pin from Orkney, c. 940-1025
Viking Age ringed pins from Denmark (Acta Archaeologica 71(1), 79-85, Nov. 2000)
Viking ringed pin from Portskewett (Newport Museum & Art Gallery NPTMG:92.16)

Early medieval spiral headed pin from Caerwent (Newport Museum & Art Gallery NPTMG:84.161)
Bronze pin of an Irish type, found on the Outer Hebrides, dating to c. 875-1100
Silver pin with polyhedral head, from Shetland, c. 900-1100
Clothing pins from Novgorod, 12th-14th century

And, for to festne his hood under his chyn,
He hadde of gold ywroght a curious pyn;
A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was.

General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, description of the Monk, ll. 195-197

Pins found in London; glass heads (1150-1200), red coral heads (1270-1350), and pewter heads (1150-1200)
Medieval pins found in London with heads made from red stone, probably jasper: MoL CUS73[I12]<48> and CUS73[V8]<95>
A copper alloy pin from Urquhart Castle, Inverness-shire, 13th-14th century
Pins and pin-case of Hermann von Goch, c. 1398
Bronze pin found at Threave Castle, 14th or 15th century
Spherical-headed ivory pin (MoL 16994), 15th century
The hair and headdress on a Profile Portrait of a Lady, c. 1410
Veil pins on Portrait of Marie de Pacy by Robert Campin, c. 1425
Veil pins on the wife of Peter Engelbrecht in the left wing of the Mérode Altarpiece by Robert Campin, c. 1427
Veil pins in Portrait of a Woman by Robert Campin, c. 1435
Veil pin on Portrait of a Woman by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1440
Sleeve pin on Mary Magdalene on the Braque Family Triptych by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1450

In the occupations of makyng of Cloth, the Laborers therof have been dryven to take grete part of their wages in Pynnes, Girdels, and other unprofitable Merchaundise.

The Rolls of Parliament, 5.502b

Veil pins in Portrait of a Lady by Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1460
Veil pins and a neckline pin in Portrait of a Lady by the workshop of Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1460
A pin attaching a pendant to the headdress of Mary of Burgundy by Michael Pacher, c. 1490; see also KHM GG_4402 (after 1500), KHM GG_4400 (after 1500) and Met 1975.1.137 (1528)
Silver pin made in 16th century Augsburg

Tudor dress pins

Dress pin (Portable Antiquities Scheme LIN-D2CE06): “Dress pin with silver shaft, spherical hollow-cast head with two hemispheres, each with circlets in filigree and small projecting knops; the head and top of shaft gilt. Deliberately bent for use.”
Silver gilt tudor dress pin found at Somerton
Tudor silver-gilt dress pin
Tudor silver-gilt dress pin (Winchester Museum WINCM:AY 224), found at Exton, Hampshire
Tudor dress pins sold by Timeless Auctions: lots 0522, 0872, 975, 1100
Tudor dress pin
Rare Tudor dress pin, second half of the 16th century: “the silver pin (intentionally bent) with silver-gilt head applied with wire decoration”

The Pin-Maker, Das Ständebuch, 1568
Pins from the Cheapside Hoard: a gold pin in the shape of a shepherd's crook enamelled and set with 14 turquoise stones (MoL A14123) and a gold pin with a decorative head in the form of a single-masted ship, the hull fashioned from a baroquoe pearl (MoL A14205)