Pair of Shears c.1850-57
Steel, gilt, rubies, diamonds | 33.5 x 5.0 x 1.6 cm (whole object) | RCIN 62120
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A pair of shears, with steel blades and hinged damascened gilt metal and steel handles, decorated with foliage and flowerheads; the finial of the first set with diamonds, of the second with rubies.
These shears, and the combs which were presented with them (RCIN 62116), are princely examples of items used for the Sokan or tonsure ceremony which all Siamese boys underwent between the ages of eleven and thirteen. During the ceremony, the topknot of their hair was cropped to mark the transition to manhood. King Mongkut's own tonsure ceremony took place in 1817 and lasted seven days.Provenance
Sent to Queen Victoria by King Rama IV of Siam (King Mongkut) and presented by his ambassadors at Windsor Castle on 19 November 1857.
Similar examples are in the collection at the Château de Fontainebleau, France, where it was presented to Emperor Napoleon III by King Rama IV’s ambassadors in 1861. -
Creator(s)
(nationality)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Steel, gilt, rubies, diamonds
Measurements
33.5 x 5.0 x 1.6 cm (whole object)
Category
Object type(s)
Place of Production
Thailand