While barrettes and headbands have survived to this day, for the working classes most head jewellery did not survive beyond the 1940s. It would seem that the fashion for this type of jewellery, which began at the end of the 18th century, is closely linked to the emancipation of women: shortened hair and entry into working life relegated head ornaments to special occasions.
Catherine Deneuve and Jean Marais, Peau d'Âne [musical film written and directed by Jacques Demy], 1970.
The tradition of this typically feminine attire, inherited from Antiquity, continues today thanks to the royal families, in aristocratic circles during festivals and more generally on the occasion of weddings.
An avid fan of head jewellery, the founder of Galerie Pénélope is peacefully campaigning for their return to popularity. She has already managed to communicate her passion to her team.
Aigrettes, double spades, combs, tiaras... let us guide you?
The crown
Certainly the most famous head ornament, the crown has a circular base and is placed at the forehead or on the hair. The exception that proves the rule, it is also the prerogative of men: we have an example above, worn by Jean Marais in the film Peau d'Âne (another of our passions in case you missed it).
Pauline Guérin after François Gérard, Marie-Louise, Empress of the French [Detail], ca. 1812, Versailles, Château de Versailles et de Trianon.
We tend to think immediately of the gold and jewels version, reserved for the dignitaries of royal power, but the crown can be made of all sorts of materials, for example flowers. If you have read our article on amethyst you will know that in ancient times people sometimes wore violets around their foreheads. But there is also the laurel wreath, rewarding the winners, and the myrtle wreath, which is invited to all festivals.
Finally, the only crowned head that is still voted for in our country is undoubtedly Miss France. For the past two years, the head jewellery of the winner of the beauty contest has been made by Mauboussin. And her crown is in fact... a tiara!
The tiara
The English word for tiara is "tiara". In French, the word "tiare" is sometimes used to designate a tiara whose front forms a triangle. However, this could be a misuse of language, since according to its definition the tiara is a ceremonial headdress 1. "a symbol of sovereignty in the ancient East and in Byzantium" and 2. "worn by the Pope until Paul VI". To put it briefly, to speak of a "tiara" in relation to a headband embellished with jewels could be tantamount to saying that the Pope wears a diadem.
Anonymous, Portrait of Empress Elisabeth of Austria [Detail], 1854, Vienna, Karlsplatz Museum
Unlike the crown, which has a circular base, the tiara has a semi-circular base. Below is an example with Madonna for Versace photographed by Mario Testino. Inherited from Antiquity, this head ornament is generally part of a set of jewellery and is worn during receptions and official occasions. From the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century, the tiara was reinvented, while retaining the following inspirations: naturalistic motifs or those borrowed from the repertoire of Antiquity, and the ubiquity of diamonds.
From the 1830s onwards, the tiara became a piece of jewellery that could be transformed into brooches, pins, necklaces, bracelets or corsage ornaments.
Antique gold metal and pearl wedding tiara
In the middle of the 19th century, the Gothic style and celestial motifs were added to the catalogue of forms. The beginning of the 20th century marked the swan song of the tiara. Characteristic of the Belle EpoqueThe tiara, decorated with geometric motifs from ancient Greece or in the guirlande style, was abandoned in France and New York in 1910. It persisted in England... which a century later had still not abandoned the monarchy!
The egret
The egret takes its name from a species of white heron. From the 18th century onwards, the bird's feathers were used as ornaments on a head ornament (comb, barrette) or a bodice brooch. The jewel is sometimes adorned partially or exclusively with pearls or precious stones. At the beginning of the 20th century, aigrettes were used to accessorise the dresses of Charles-Frédéric Worth, considered the father of haute couture. By extension, hat ornaments with feathers are called aigrettes.
The headband
Robert Lefèvre, Portrait of Pauline Bonaparte, Princess Borghese1809, Rueil-Malmaison, Musée Nat. des Châteaux de Malmaison et de Bois-Préau.
A headband is a band of soft material (often fabric) forming a circle that holds the hair back. One of the most iconic headbands is undoubtedly Brigitte Bardot's, which the star made her trademark in the 1960s. But before that? The headband appeared at the end of the 18th century. It was originally worn on the forehead, alone or with a matching comb, as shown in this painting of Pauline Bonaparte by Robert Lefèvre. The use of cameos, very fashionable under the First Empire - and even throughout the 19th century - can be seen on her finery.
In the 1860s and 1880s, all-gold headbands were worn on the forehead in the style of antiquity.
Later, around 1920, it replaced the tiara in France, becoming more suited to the garçonne cut and to the "années folles" dresses worn by women freed from the corset. Diamonds remained the preferred stone for the creation of headbands, while they were adorned with the geometric shapes dear to the movement. Art Deco. Headbands are no exception to the rule of transformation jewellery and are also worn as necklaces and bracelets.
The hairpin (or double spike)
Pins are characterised by their U shape and their material, often metal, which is both hard and flexible. While simple pins are commonly used to secure buns, some are decorative, such as our steel-tipped pin. Pins were popular from the mid-19th century. As women also used jewellery, and in particular brooches, to adorn their hairstyles, it is not always clear whether or not these are pins in the pictorial evidence that has come down to us. What we can say for sure is that celestial motifs (stars, moons) were very popular on this type of jewellery. The heyday of the double pin was the 1860s to 1880s, as shown by Winterhalter's portrait of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, and the early 20th century.
Franz Xaver Winterhalter, Portrait of Empress Elisabeth of Austria1865, Vienna, Museen des Mobiliendepots.
In this hairstyle created by her maid, Sissi wears a series of stars executed by Alexander Emanuel Köchert.
In the 1900s, wearing brooches in the hair was abandoned. Instead, many crescent moon brooches were mounted on pins. They were used in hairstyles until the First World War.
The ironmonger
We challenge you to find the ironworker hidden in this article. Hint: it's one of the team's favourite films! It's a fairly limited fashion: the ironwork craze began in the 1830s and lasted barely a decade. Their short period of vogue also corresponds to a new way of doing hair, where the hair is moved away from the forehead.
Originating from the Renaissance, this piece is made up of a thin ribbon or a chain and is adorned with a pendant (stone, pearl, cameo) worn on the forehead. It is directly inspired by La Belle Ferronnière, mistress of François I immortalised in a painting by Leonardo da Vinci around 1495. During the Renaissance, a large forehead being synonymous with intelligence, some women waxed their hair to push back the hairline. Once out of fashion, ironwork was redesigned into necklaces and bracelets, which explains why we don't really find them today.
The kokochnik
This is a headdress, emblematic of the Russia of the Tsars, with an elliptical, rigid shape, originally covered with fabric embroidered with pearls, which is attached to the back of the head by means of one or more ribbons. The term "kokochnik" comes from the Russian word for "cock's crest". Like our western crowns or diadems, this head jewel was worn by women of the nobility during official ceremonies. Russians still sometimes wear it at traditional weddings. Reinterpreted by jewellers, kokochnik tiaras in the shape of the headdress but much smaller in size, adorned with diamonds, were fashionable in the West in the 1860s and 1880s.
Do you like bohemian jewellery? Take a look at our selection inspired by the Ballets Russes collection fromYves Saint-Laurent.
The comb
Comb, tiara, stars, turquoise and horn
You knew we weren't going to talk about the comb used to detangle hair! The ornamental comb has also existed since the dawn of time, with some examples dating back to around 5000 BC. By the way, you're probably familiar with the Disney version of Snow White, where her dreadful stepmother tries to kill her with a poisoned apple. But did you know that in the Grimm brothers' version, the stepmother has to do it three times, one of which is with a poisonous comb? Fortunately, the dwarves find Snow White lying on the ground, remove the comb from her hair and she comes to.
In any case, democratized under the First Empire, it is an essential among the feminine accessories in the XIXth century. It is composed of a decorative horizontal part extended for the most part by horn or tortoiseshell teeth. Worn behind or on the head, combs are often rectangular in shape, decorated with openwork metal and inlaid with fine pearls, balls of coral or amber, precious stones, micro-mosaics or cameos. As with tiaras, although the comb was reinvented throughout the century, the influences remained the same: motifs from nature or ancient inspirations (Greek antiquity, Egypt of the pharaohs).
In the middle of the 19th century, the comb was worn on the forehead like a tiara or above the bun. Enamel was added to the materials used. During this period, flamenco combs made exclusively of worked tortoiseshell also appeared.
A little later, giraffe combs, characterised by their narrow but high shape, were used to hold the buns. At the end of the 19th century, combs became smaller and were worn as mini-diadems. They were later favoured for their utilitarian function (who has never found one in their grandmother's dressing table drawer?) and also suffered from the fashion for short haircuts.
A comb with only two teeth, halfway between a pin and a comb, is called a hair manon.
If Camille, our founder, is a great lover of head jewellery, she particularly likes combs. For an upcoming wedding, or to dress up your little black dress, discover our complete selection in the drop-down menu on the right or below for the mobile version.
Coral, Rhine, Coral 2, Coral 3
The barrette
Whether clicky or automatic, the barrette is probably our first contact with head ornaments as a little girl. An accessory that holds a lock of hair of varying thickness, it is worn on the side or back of the head. The barrette has existed since Antiquity, but it does not seem to have a key moment in the history of jewellery, except in the inter-war period with the notched hairstyles. The locks were then held in place by barrettes placed near the parting, mostly on the left side of the head.
The hatpin
Do you know what 'cappaspingulophiles' collect? Easy, it's in the title! What is a hatpin? It is a pin, mostly decorative, used to hold a hat on the head by attaching it to the hair. In Western culture, until not so long ago, it was agreed that women of a certain social standing could not go out "in their hair", i.e. with their head not covered by a scarf or a hat. In fact, hatpins were particularly fashionable from the 1880s to the 1920s. Then, the fashion for cloche hats that no longer needed to be tied up put the pins to rest. They made a comeback in the 1930s and mid-20th century.
Previously, hats were tied with ribbons tied under the chin. Pins were used for sails or headdresses. It was not until the 1830s that pins were produced industrially in the United States and France. In the middle of the 19th century, the use of hatpins was democratised and women from all walks of life began to use them.
1950's hatpinRennes, Musée de Bretagne.
Why not men? Because men are required to uncover when entering a place (church, for example) whereas women are not. As time goes by and fashion changes, the pins are getting longer, up to 35 cm long! Belle Epoque hats with real gardens had to be held securely. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was therefore ordered that pins be fitted with a protective cap.
Indeed, they were sometimes responsible for unfortunate accidents, for example on public transport; but they were also a very useful deterrent for women subjected to street harassment. We invite you to (re)read Agatha Christie's Crime is Our Business, where the victim is "struck in the heart by a rather bizarre object: a hatpin.
Don't worry gentlemen, nowadays old pins, whether they are hat or tie pins, are transformed into jewellery. Their patterns are mostly mounted in necklaces, earrings or even rings like the example below.
Antique gold and diamond chimera ring
What do we remember?
Everything of course! And if not?
- The heyday of head jewellery is undoubtedly the 19th century
- Soon enough, it was reserved for special occasions, so jewellers turned it into jewellery that could also be worn as necklaces, brooches, bracelets or corsage jewellery
- The line between jewellery and head jewellery is very thin: not only were the latter designed for several uses, but the hairstyles of the time were also adorned with rivers of diamonds or pearls, as well as brooches whose primary purpose was not to adorn the hair
- Today, head jewellery is reserved for royal families, for special occasions in aristocratic circles and for weddings for all strata of society
- The fact that head jewellery was intended for particular circumstances is closely linked to theemancipation of women: short haircuts and active life are less easily combined with these ornaments
- Despite a century and a half of existence, the inspirations remain more or less the same: Antiquity, Renaissance, Orientalism, naturalistic and celestial motifs
- Diamonds are still the preferred gem for head jewellery, but there are also many in coral, which was very fashionable under the two Empires, and in rhinestones imitating diamonds
- Looking for the "French je-ne-sais-quoi"? It's up to us, but we find that combs and pins haven't aged a bit and would look great on any jeans 😉
Convinced? All our head jewelry.
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