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Source Description
Called a "hand-pin" because it resembles the palm of the hand with the fingers pointing out at right angles, this pin served as a cloak fastener. Hand-pins were fashionable in Ireland and Scotland in the 6th and 7th centuries. Originally the five pellet "fingertips" along the top of the pin and the sunken background of the spiraling design on its crescent-shaped "palm" were filled with colorful enamel. A tie once passed through the hole in the center of the palm and was wrapped around the tip of the pin to keep it securely in place. The shape of the pin is a creative adaptation of a Romano-British brooch design dating from the 4th century.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
30021
label
Hand-Pin
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
2
Source metadata
id
30021
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Hand-Pin
description
Called a "hand-pin" because it resembles the palm of the hand with the fingers pointing out at right angles, this pin served as a cloak fastener. Hand-pins were fashionable in Ireland and Scotland in the 6th and 7th centuries. Originally the five pellet "fingertips" along the top of the pin and the sunken background of the spiraling design on its crescent-shaped "palm" were filled with colorful enamel. A tie once passed through the hole in the center of the palm and was wrapped around the tip of the pin to keep it securely in place. The shape of the pin is a creative adaptation of a Romano-British brooch design dating from the 4th century.
provenance
Robert Day, Cork: Robert Day Sale, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, London, May 19-22, 1913, no. 357; Patrick O' Connor, New York; Walters Art Museum, 1950, by purchase.
date
6th-7th century (Early Medieval)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Metal
pins
imageCount
2
pageCount
2
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
22
height
2.2
depth
1.9
dimensionsRaw
8 11/16 x 7/8 x 3/4 in. (22 x 2.2 x 1.9 cm)
Source extras
cul
Celtic
med
bronze
creator_ids
15337
collection_ids
MED
JWL
exhibition_ids
2513
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
a2f5cbc528e6e0ac
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
5b0d4e1488a81fb2
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no