Grooming tools

From: the Hoxne Hoard, Suffolk (1992)
Date: buried in the 5th century AD

Roman women liked to look good, and those who could afford it would have had their hair done regularly and would wear make-up and jewellery. These silver objectswere used by Romans to help them in their personal grooming.

The four objects at the top and the two bird-shaped ones are toothpicks. The flat scoops at the smaller end were probably for getting make-up out of small jars, or even for cleaning out ears. Some people think that the three objects at the bottom held make-up brushes: if you look at the wider ends you can see empty sockets where brushes might have been fixed.