Peinetón
Large headdress worn by the women of Buenos Aires and Montevideo in the 1830s / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The peinetón (plural: peinetones) is a large, decorative comb that originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina and became very fashionable among its female inhabitants as well as those of Montevideo, Uruguay between the late 1820s and the mid to late 1830s.[1][2] Although its origin can be traced back to the traditional Spanish peineta, the peinetón derived into a different headpiece altogether, both for its physical characteristics as well as for the symbolic meanings around its use.[3][2] The peineta was introduced to Buenos Aires around 1815 and, as early as 1824, interest began to grow in larger and more elaborate models, eventually giving rise to the peinetón that had its heyday between 1830 and 1837.[2] The accessory emerged during the Romantic era[note 1] of Western fashion, and was worn alongside dresses with small waists and large, voluminous sleeves.[4]
Peinetones were defined by their extravagant size, measuring up to 120 centimetres (3 feet 11 inches) in height and width at the height of their popularity.[5][6] They were typically made out of tortoiseshell, although the cheaper horn was also common,[7] particularly when the former was in short supply.[3] The tortoiseshell was imported as pieces or plates, which were cut, heat-fused, fretworked, chiseled and polished by craftsmen in the city's workshops, sometimes also being printed and inlaid.[8][1] The design of each peinetón was unique and tailored to the tastes of each woman.[2] The one-piece accessory had a slightly convex body, it came in a variety of different shapes and featured profuse ornamentation with designs inspired by nature and Neoclassicism.[3][4]
The trend was unique to the Río de la Plata, serving as a way to differentiate from Spanish culture and becoming a defining feature of porteño women for both locals and foreigners.[8][9] As such, it represents a moment of interest for Argentine fashion historians, and is associated with a growing sense of national identity in post-colonial Argentina, which had declared independence in 1816 and was undergoing a series of bloody civil wars between Federalists and Unitarians.[2][1] The development of the fashion mainly took place during the rule of the Federalist Juan Manuel de Rosas, a time in which clothing became increasingly codified to demonstrate political adherence to the regime.[2] In fact, the use of the peinetón was eventually associated with Federalist women, with models often featuring effigies of Rosas and political slogans of the party.[3][10][8]
The peinetón had a great impact on the porteño society of the time, which led to an intense literary, graphic, artistic and journalistic production both for and against the accessory.[3] Due to the high cost of tortoiseshell and its elaborate manufacture, the headpiece became a luxury item that served as a symbol of prestige among the elite, although women of lower social classes also aspired to own one.[11][12] Several modern authors consider that the peinetón served as a way for women to burst in and reaffirm themselves in public space, at a time when they were heavily relegated to domestic life.[1][10][13]