Cloak pin

Dateca. 1770

MediumGilt brass and iron

DimensionsH: 1 7/8" OW: 1 1/16" OL:2 3/8"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1989-136

DescriptionCloak pin with threaded iron shaft and cast gilt brass face in the form of a bird.Label TextDespite their period name, cloak pins were generally used in upholstery applications on bedsteads and windows. Positioned in pairs, they provided a convenient means to tie off the cords associated with bed and window curtains that could be drawn up on pulleys. They were also used for the cords associated with Venetian blinds and other applications in well furnished houses.

Cloak pins were usually decorative and their face plates could be anything from simple brass to enamels. This one is of gilt brass and the bird design is taken from an illustration of a guan in George Edwards, A NATURAL HISTORY OF UNCOMMON BIRDS, AND SOME OTHER RARE AND UNDESCRIBED ANIMALS..., published in London in 1743.Inscription(s)NoneMark(s)NoneProvenanceNone