Pair of ivory and black cherry blossom hairpins made in the traditional Tsumami Kanzashi method. Petals are made from silk and rayon with button and vintage stamen centers. Hairpins are silver plate. Flowers measure about 1.25" across.

These handmade hairpins are made in the “Tsumami Kanzashi” method - literally folded flower hair stick”, Tsumami Kanzashi are made from small squares of fabric which are folded into petals. Kanzashi is a very old Japanese art form which was first used around 1000 BC. This is when some of the first predecessors of the modern Japanese hair comb began to appear.    Kanzashi came into wide use during the Edo Period (1603-1867) when hairstyles became larger and more complicated, using large number of ornaments. These hair ornaments were used by Geisha.