Imagup General Magazine 2024
Enamel pins are so popular that they are widely used by people to associate or support a certain cause or organization. But the use of enamel pins goes far beyond that. For starters, they are very popular accessories that are worn on clothes or backpacks. As a matter of fact, they are so versatile that they can be pinned on hats, belts, flags, and everything else that has a surface that can be pinned on. Their use stems from political parties, political movements, social movements, musical affiliations, sports affiliations, and more.
Chances are that you’ve seen an enamel pin at least once in your lifetime. But dong bet on it that you’ll see it for the last time, as they are very popular fashion trends. But with all that said, do you actually know the origins of enamel pins? Have you ever asked yourself when were they first created and what was their use? If so, then we’ve got an article ready for you to sit down and breeze past. We will try to explain everything there is to know about enamel pins, so sit back and let’s get started.
They Date Back Ages
The first people that pioneered the technique which is used to create enamel pins were the Egyptians in 1800 BC. While Egyptians didn’t create enamel pins, since there is no historical evidence, they did try to perfect the technique. The process of creating these pins involves inlaying and enameling, which gives the pin a unique look. Fast forward 600 years where Grecian artists started filling powdered glass between the spaces of the wires. This created a type of inlay which is known as enamel, and it is the first time that enamel pins were created.
Fast forward to the 13th century and to the Byzantine Empire where they performed the technique which these pins were created from. They called it cloisonné and it was popularized by the Yuan Dynasty in China. This technique was reformed over the years and used to create various other decorative items such as hairpins, fine art, decorative wires, and jewelry. To know more about enamel pins and how to create them, click here.
Refining the Technique
As we said, over the years the Chinese refined and perfected the technique, and they created fired enamelware, which is one of the most recognizable out of all enamel designs. They used this refined technique to create stunning vases, jewelry, and various other decorative objects. Some of the earliest enamel designs found during the Yuan Dynasty are set to date back to 1271 AD. But with all that said, it was during the rule of Emperor Zhu Qiyu of the Ming Dynasty that enamel pins soared into popularity.
Common Misuse of Enamel Pins
We mentioned at the start of the article that these pins are used by political parties and movements. Well, it’s safe to say that never throughout history were these pins used to make political statements or to support any political faction. That might have popularized in the past, but the original use of these pins is solely and purely for fashion purposes only.
