The origins of nose piercing

We may have discovered the origins of nose piercing, in this door knocker at Brasenose College in Oxford, England!

This brass door knocker in the shape of a nose dates back to the twelfth century, when there were no celebrities with nose piercing, and the actual process would have been painful, unhygienic, and most likely involved a needle made from the bone of an animal, rather than beautiful shiny surgical steel…

While the actual shape of the knocker is more like an abstract, imaginary nose than a realistic one, it was definitely created to look like a nose. The shaping of it is likely a representation of the limitations of brass working at that time of history. We know that the nose is intended to be the college symbol firstly because of its name, which means ‘Brazen Nose’ in a pidgin form of English. We also know this for the fact that there are nose ornaments over several of the main doors, a carved nose in the Archives which was once attached to the college Eight, a tie pin from the college in the 1870s made in the shape of a nose, and the characteristic nose-shaped pipes smoked by Brasenose undergraduates in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

All this focus on noses, though, begs the question … why?!! The nose is hardly a symbol of intellect and gentility – more of animal instincts and disease! We can only wonder, perhaps assuming that it represents having a nose for knowledge or something similar.

And also hope that the ring protruding from the nostrils is not allowed to become slimy, for the unsuspecting knockers… !

Photo credits: Wikimedia



4 Responses to “The origins of nose piercing”

1. Rach says:

   31 May 2007 at 7:59 pm

   I think it looks more like a mole or a vole or something liek that - a little blind animal that tunnels around. He looks a bit sad about having something ni his mouth too!
2. no one says:

   30 May 2009 at 2:00 am

   It doesn’t look like a nose to me. I agree with Rach. I don’t think this is the origin of nose piercings.
3. bob says:

   1 July 2009 at 9:03 pm

   it has two ears and 2 eyes and wrinkles. To me, this is a little bulldog, you can even see the bulldog’s little brass nose sticking out over the ring…
4. Lucy Atkinson says:

   19 July 2009 at 1:27 am

   Hi No-one

   I think you’re right … probably not the origin of nose piercing :). Many historians are on your side, but it was a funny thought in my twisted mind, nevertheless!

   Bob, you’re right, it does look like a bulldog! Given the English fascination with the creatures, it is entirely possible. Then again, from a school that nose ornaments over the main doors, nose tie-pins, and nose-shaped pipes, I think anything is possible :-).

   Thanks for stopping by!