Was Wonder Woman The First Person To Wear A Tiara?
There are some items of clothing or accessories that are synonymous with a certain character or style. The leather jacket will forever be associated with rebellion and adventure through its military connections and its use by leading men in Hollywood movies. And large dark sunglasses, the type worn by Jackie Onassis or Sophia Loren, will always give the wearer added sophistication and confidence.
There is one item that has all this; glamour, sophistication, rebelliousness and confidence. The tiara.
The tiara is perhaps the one item of jewellery, the one accessory that can truly transform a person’s appearance and bestow on them an added sense of importance and status. It has been worn by so many people and has such a colorful history that there is not much that the tiara cannot convey, be it wealth, power or humility. It is a truly adaptable item.
A tiara is in fact a form of crown but legend suggests that this particular form of crown was invented by the Greek gods. They called it a Diadem which means ‘to bind around’ and were made from flowers and plants. The tiara became the head dress of choice for kings and Emperors in ancient kingdoms such as Mesopotamia. It became know as a tiara in Persia where it was also decorated with jewels and precious stones, something the Romans also did.
As well as rulers of countries and kingdoms the tiara was favored by the Roman Catholic Church. Known for its elaborate ceremony and wealth it’s perhaps not surprising that the church adopted the tiara as its own. The Papal tiara was an elaborate design that incorporated symbolism representing Christ, power and authority.
The tiara is still favored by the world’s most powerful leaders and was in the news recently when Queen Elisabeth II sat for a portrait by the renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz. It was reported that Things didn’t run smoothly and that Leibevitz asked the Queen to take off the tiara that she was wearing as it was ‘too showy’.
It is also believed that Queen Elisabeth has the largest and most valuable tiara collection in the world. The collection is made up of heirlooms and items she has inherited as well as gifts from other countries and state leaders. But it’s not just royalty who favor wearing a tiara as a symbol of there wealth, power or status.
When pop star Madonna married film director Guy Ritchie in 2000 she wore a 78 carat diamond tiara. The tiara had 765 diamonds and was unusual in that, through the removal of some pieces, it could be turned into a necklace. The tiara was a beautiful example of Edwardian jewellery and could be traced back to 1910.
Perhaps the most famous non royal ever to wear a tiara is Audrey Hepburn. She appeared on screen wearing a tiara, most notably in Roman Holiday, and exposed the item of jewellery to a whole new generation. It could also be argued that the image of her wearing a tiara led to the production of cheaper, more affordable tiaras from high street stores. In the same way that Marlon Brando popularized the leather jacket and James Dean popularized the white t-shirt and blue jeans, Audrey Hepburn popularized the tiara.
And the powerful symbolism of the tiara wasn’t lost on comic book writer William Moulton Marston when he created Wonder Woman in 1941. Wonder Woman was an Amazon, from the idea based in Greek mythology. Part of her outfit was a magic tiara that was crafted from Greek god Apollo’s discuss. The Greek association was also very apt as that was where the tiara is believed to have originated.
Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the jewellery industry.
Find out more about tiaras and other items of jewellery.