Topknot Pin
Unknown Artist
918–1392
Medium
silver
Dimensions
l. 5.1 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Korean Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
Accession Number
1917.1030
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Metallurgy advanced remarkably in the Goryeo period (918-1392), explaining why a large quantity of sophisticated metal artifacts were used not only as daily accessories but also as burial goods. Men put their hair in a knot at the top of their heads. To keep their long hair from falling, a bronze pin such as this one was used.