Historical Pop Culture: Victorian Sash Pins
Victorian sash pins combine royal influence, bold design, and lasting collectible appeal.
When thoughts turn to pop culture, they don’t usually reach as far back into history as the 1800s. But long before we had online influencers, film stars, and recording artists ruling media, there was true royalty: Queen Victoria. It’s not like royals didn’t have sway in the 20th century, and they certainly still do now. Even at their highest points, though, Queen Victoria’s reach in comparison is still quite impressive. She led fashion trends throughout her reign as her well-documented accessory choices were shared with her subjects via burgeoning periodicals.
Mourning culture and the associated attire she wore swept the globe as major influences after the love of her life, Prince Albert, passed away in 1861. Even before then, she was an ardent admirer of Scotland, and the resulting Balmorality is proof that she donned tartan sashes that were affixed with pins at the shoulder or waist. And other ladies adopted the look, too. That’s where the name sash pin originated, as a matter of fact.
In the mid-1800s, it was common for women to wear fabric belts with a simple decorative slide at the front of the waist. As the Victorian era moved into the late 1800s, women continued to wear strips of fabric or wide ribbons around their waists, but they fastened decorative pins to them instead. These are the types of accessories we most often find referenced as sash pins these days.
Sash pins, which I’d really categorize as brooches due to their size, have some unique characteristics that stand out above and beyond other types of pins from that era. They were also substantially constructed so lots of them have survived and look good for their age. Collectors just beginning to learn about Victorian styles find this is an excellent place to start.
Jewelry images courtesy of Jay B. Siegel.
Recognizing Sash Pins
If I were describing the other types of Victorian pins collectors run across with frequency these days, I’d describe them as being on the dainty side. Sash pins, made from the late 1800s into the early 1900s, are just the opposite. They’re big, but saying that doesn’t really drive the point home about how different they are—they’re downright bold in comparison. I’m guessing this is because they were worn at the waist to emulate buckles, since they wouldn’t quite make the same statement in a smaller size. And speaking of mimicking buckles, some sash pins even have little faux elements that are meant to look like the actual prongs of belt buckles.
Beyond their size, they also have some other attributes worth noting, including the pin stems. Since these were used to pierce multiple layers of fabric, the stems are very thick to handily get the job done. The clasps on sash pins are the standard Victorian “C” clasp without a safety mechanism, but much larger to accommodate the hefty pin stems.
Shapes can vary a bit, but most are rectangular or oval. Occasionally, they take the shape of a freeform shield of sorts, and some have Art Nouveau styling. They’re often made of metal with a brassy look or a silver-tone finish, although some are actually made of silver. The casting of the metal work can be quite intricate and beautiful, even if no other embellishments are present.
When a sash pin does include stones of some sort, it’s usually one large unfoiled glass stone or an artsy glass cabochon of some kind. A few will have a smattering of small stones or enamel flourishes, but it’s usually more about the heavy metal settings than anything else when it comes to the overall look of a sash pin.
Marks on Sash Pins
Most sash pins aren’t marked. If you’re lucky enough to find one with a GNS stamp on it, you potentially have an all-star on your hands, since that’s the mark of George Steere, who manufactured this type of brooch in the early 1900s for a short period. Not all GNS examples are created equally, however. The ones with the most elaborate metalwork, including animals, fantasy creatures, intricate florals, and/or curled edges, tend to be the most valuable, exceeding $200 apiece. There are also unmarked examples of George Steere’s work, so you may get a bargain if you learn to recognize the details of his company’s designs. Many inexperienced sellers misidentify more ordinary, unsigned sash pins as GNS; however, so be sure to do your homework before splurging on one without a mark.
Another company that made sash pins c. 1900 was E.A. Bliss, the forerunner to Napier (not related to Bliss Brothers as some sellers purport). These have a fancy script mark reading EA & Co. in a circle and usually aren’t quite as substantial as the standard unmarked sash pin you’ll run across; in some ways, that makes them prettier. Prices are more moderate for examples with this signature, so you can expect to find them in the $50–$125 range most of the time.
A few other businesses made signed sash pins, but they don’t come up for sale often. And because the marks are unfamiliar to buyers, they don’t really add much value to an average-looking example.
More on Sash Pin Values
Even though they’re well over a century old now, there are still lots of sash pin options entering the antique jewelry marketplace. There are some exceptions for the very best examples, but most won’t sell for a lot more than $125. There are also many attractive options available for far less than that.
Plain metal pieces without much repoussé work usually bring the least. Generic black examples, which were fashionable with Victorian ladies in a more general sense rather than reserved only for mourning wear, can also be found at reasonable prices. The price goes up as the fancier a sash pin gets when filigree work, intricate motifs, and colorful glass stones are present.
Even so, a good number of sash pins can be purchased in the $25–$75 range, so it’s not impossible to put together an impressive collection that won’t completely max out your credit card. With affordable options like that, you don’t have to be a royal to collect like one.
PAMELA WIGGINS SIEGEL has been buying, selling, and collecting costume jewelry for more than 30 years. She is the author of Warman’s Costume Jewelry (Krause Publications) and the co-founder of Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l, an organization dedicated to hosting events and providing educational resources for collectors. Visit her online at www.chicantiques.com and www.cjci.co.
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