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Cap brooch as status symbol

From the sixteenth century women wearing a cap brooch were a common sight in Dutch rural areas. The wealthier the woman or her family, the finer the brooch. Although most cap brooches were made of iron, some were made of gold or silver. The cap has ornaments called pins. The design of these pins varies and shows where the woman wearing the brooch was born and whether she was married. Although in many part of the Netherlands cap brooches went out of fashion in the 18th century, the custom endured in Drenthe. This gold brooch was made in the 18th century and is band-shaped. It is modelled after the Staphorst design with gold curls from which small gold bridal crowns are suspended.

Ruinerwold head brooch with bridal crowns, 18th century