Dress pin or hairpin of bone with a winged head, from Orkney, 850 - 1000 AD

Large dress pin or hairpin of whalebone, with a spatulate head, from Skara Brae, Skaill, Sandwick, Orkney, 3100 - 2500 BC

Large dress pin or hairpin of whalebone with a pointed head, from Skara Brae, 3100 - 2400 BC

Large dress pin or hairpin of whalebone with a domed head, from Skara Brae

Animal-headed dress pin or hairpin of bone, from Jarlshof, Shetland, 850 - 1100 AD

Animal-headed dress pin or hairpin of bone, from Jarlshof, Shetland, 850 - 1100 AD

Dress pin or hairpin of bone with two animal heads, from Jarlshof, Shetland, 850 - 1100 AD

Animal-headed dress pin or hairpin of bone, from Jarlshof, Shetland, 850 - 1100 AD

Animal-headed dress pin or hairpin of bone, unfinished, from Jarlshof, Shetland

Dress pin or hairpin of bone with a baluster head, from Jarlshof, 850 - 1000 AD

Silver hairpin with globular head of filigree work, from a Viking burial at Ballinaby, Islay

Ivory hairpin with finial carved in the shape of a poppy seed pod: Ancient Egyptian, Middle Egypt, Oxyrhynchus, Roman Period

Ivory hairpin with the finial carved as a human hand holding an egg: Ancient Egyptian, excavated in Faiyum, Roman Period

Ivory hairpin with finial carved as a seated dog: Ancient Egyptian, Middle Egypt, Oxyrhynchus, Roman Period

Hairpin of anodised titanium, one of a pair: Scottish, Edinburgh, by Ann Marie Shillito, 1980

Hairpin of anodised titanium, one of a pair: Scottish, Edinburgh, by Ann Marie Shillito, 1980