Hairpin used in boy’s tonsuring ceremony

ca. 1700-1900

Gold-covered pins like this one were used to hold the topknot worn by boys at the Thai court during their tonsuring, an elaborate hair-cutting ceremony performed just before puberty.

Wood and wax or resin covered in sheet gold, enamel, and glass

L.: 5 5/16 in.

Diam.: 7/8 in.

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

56.90

Photo: Elizabeth Mann

Now on view at the Asian Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing.

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