Knob of Hairpin
Unknown Artist
100–500
Medium
Gilt copper alloy
Dimensions
Overall: 1 1/8 x 7/8 in. (2.8 x 2.2 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Copper alloy
Culture
Roman
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.191.205
Art Historical Context
This delicate "Knob of Hairpin," crafted by an unknown Roman artisan between 100 and 500 CE, exemplifies the everyday elegance of Late Roman personal adornment. Measuring just 1 1/8 x 7/8 inches, this tiny gilt copper alloy finial would have crowned a hairpin, securing elaborate hairstyles popular among Roman women of the time. Dating to the waning centuries of the Roman Empire, it bridges classical antiquity and the early medieval world, reflecting a society where even intimate accessories blended functionality with subtle luxury. The object's medium—copper alloy coated with a thin layer of ...