binyeo (hair ornament)

binyeo (hair ornament) , late 1800s, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)

Where object was made: Korea

Material/technique: coral; gilding; casting; bronze

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 6.75 x 2.5 x 1.5 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 2 11/16 x 1 x 0 9/16 in

Credit line: William Bridges Thayer Memorial

Accession number: 1928.0318.b

On display: Michaelis Gallery

Add to portfolio

If you wish to reproduce this image, please submit an image request

Images

Label texts

Collection Cards: Mindful

This Korean hair pin, called a binyeo [bean-yoh], is shaped like the head of a fierce dragon. Hair pins are used to keep hairstyles in place and to add style and decoration. In Korea, hair pins made from various materials with different kinds of decorations can indicate the age of the person wearing it, the current season of the year, whether or not the person is married, or even if someone in the wearer’s family has recently died. In Asian cultures, dragons are often seen as protective or good luck.

What kinds of things do you wear that tell others about who you are? Imagine, draw, or make a piece of clothing that says something about your identity. What do you want other people to know about you?

Salina Art Center: Shattering the Void: Realms of Meaning in East Asian Art

This hair ornament is decorated with the head of a dragon. Hair pins like this one were both decorative and functional as they kept both men and women’s hair in place. Women who wore these hair ornaments would have been married.