Hair sticks' ancient origins

Although hair sticks are stylish and fashionable hair jewelry today, their use dates back centuries. The early Egyptians used hair sticks made of gold and decorated with shells and gemstones. They were luxury items and have been found in graves. They were also used in the ancient Assyrian, Eutruscan, Greek and Roman civilizations.

African cultures used decorated hair sticks made from ivory and wood, as in many African cultures a woman's long hair was a symbol of fertility and femininity. hair sticks have also been found in many other native cultures, including indigenous American Indian, Indonesian and Aboriginal cultures.

Oriental influences on hair sticks

Paintings show that hair sticks were used extensively in early China and Japan. hair sticks were used to create elaborate styles by Japanese Gieshas, who called them Kanzashi. Girls wishing to train as apprentice Geishas had to allow their hair to grow very long so that it could be styled with these hair sticks and combs decorated with beads and flowers. The type and location of the Kanzashi worn indicated the status of the Geisha. The style of Kanzashi would be changed with the months of the year and seasons, as the motifs and colors used would reflect the flowers and trees in bloom and festivals around Kyoto. One of the most common types of Kanzashi is the bira bira, or dangling style, where dangling ornaments from the top of the stick move independently, tinkling as the Geisha moves.

Kanzashi sticks are still used by Gieshas today and are currently enjoying a resurgence of popularity amoung young Japanese business women, who use them to add elegance and individuality to their business attire.

Hair sticks in the West

hair sticks were also used in Western society, for example they were popular in France, especially during the reign of Louis XIV. Women in that era wanted to make their hairstyle tower as high as possible, and so they used elaborate and powdered wigs. Jewelry and accessories including hair sticks were then used to adorn these wigs.

During the 1920s, everything Oriental became very fashionable in the West. There was a resurgence in popularity of hair sticks and they started to become widely used. Today they remain a stylish and classic way to hold a professional, elegant style suitable for a business setting or a fun, fashionable way to adorn hair at any time.