Featured Tortoiseshell& filigree hairpin- origin&age？

I am now eyeing on this tortoiseshell hairpin with filigree detail but unsure of its origin and age. Image search leads me to a page with similar hairpins described as Javanese hairpins made in 1960s. Is that true? Thanks!

 

@Any Jewelry do you smell Indonesian from this?

 

PS: this dealer listed a lots of Japanese vintage jewelry but this doesn’t look like Japanese to me. Just a clue!

 

I do. And I agree, it is Javanese made and very pretty.
I know these were already around in the 1920s, and I wouldn't be surprised if the style as such dates back a lot further.
I'll see if I can find out more, but documentation on Javanese hair jewellery is scarce.

 

Thank you for confirmation I already bought it and will post better pics when it arrives. I also saw one seller has a lot of similar ones but all in pairs. Would love to know how these are traditionally worn!

 

Usually in pairs, on either side of a "sanggul konde", a bun of hair at the back of the head.

 

A sanggul konde wig with ornamental combs, worn on formal occasions by ladies who don't have long hair:


https://www.cemoroayu.com/sanggul-jawa-kualitas-adisri.html

 

Thank you I don’t have long enough hair, and no hairpins in pair either, so I will use a bit creativity with it

 

One way to know there were good odds of it being older than the 1960s - snipe pins on the back. They could have been used later, but they make my nose twitch.

 

you mean these? I searched snipe pin but google only gives me birds
Also there’s a seller on ebay who has a few pairs of them and they all have the same fitting at back

 

Cotter pins are similar but they have loops at the top. Yep, those. It's a good safe way to fasten things, but they're not used by factories often.

 

I have shoulderlength hair, but the Indonesians have a solution for that too. I have a sanggul (the large hairbun) with regular hairpins inside, so I can pin it to my hair. But I usually use one of those elastic bands with fake curls, that I put around the small bun I can make with my hair. No fuss, and it creates enough mass to wear fancy hair jewellery.

Some of my Indonesian hair jewellery. These are all late 19th-early 20th century.

East Java. The tops are gilded silver decorated with filigree and granules, set with quartz and coral glass:


The back, the metal is folded and crimped over the top:


Below a set of "kembang goyang" or "waving flowers" hair jewellery from Madura (group of islands north of East Java).
The goldleaf flowers are attached to springs, so they move whenever the wearer moves their head. In European jewellery terms this technique is called 'en tremblant'.
These are bigger than they look on the photo, the pin of the tiara goes along the back of my head from top to bottom.


The back of the tiara, so you can see the springs. The single flower pins have the same springs, also on the leaves:

 

Thank you for sharing the realistic styling of the flowers reminds me of some ancient Greek gold garlands/crowns!

 

So I’m sure the seller bought it from Japan… given that this was made during early to mid 20th century, and considering what Japan did to people in Indonesia during WWII…I now have a pretty bad feeling about its questionable history

 

And what they did to the women and girls of Indonesia.
You haven't bought it yet?

There has been trade between Indonesia and Japan for a very long time, so it may not have been stolen. But we don't know, of course.

 

The seller (Chinese) must have bought it together with a bunch of vintage jewelry from Japan and likely has no idea of the origin and age of this hairpin. It may also be passed down from generations but no one knows how it initially came to Japan, but this as the worst possibility just came to my mind.

I paid yesterday and it’s already on the way. Guess I will then just take good care of it and see it as a reminder of history…

 

I understand, it includes that terrible period. But also some good years between Japan and Indonesia.
Indonesians are very forgiving, because they don't want to burden their soul with negativity. As a result trade with Japan picked up relatively soon after the war. (Also because Indonesia's Pres. Sukarno had worked for the Japanese during the war.)

Shower it with love and turn something bad into something good. And just think, it has left Japan and is now in China.

 

Yes no matter what it may have gone through, it’s now living in peace and in good hands

 

It's in a nice safe place!

 

What fascinating hair picks, tiaras and combs! I imagine a museum of fair size and abundant knowledge could be populated by the collectors in this group!