Pair of white and lavender print blossom hairpins made in the traditional Tsumami Kanzashi method. Petals are made from two layers of rayon chiramen fabric from Japan with silver button centers. Flowers measure about 1.5" across. Hairpins are gold plated.

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.