page_title: Nipple piercing
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Nipple piercing / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Isabeau of Bavaria, queen of France
context_page_description: A nipple piercing is a type of body piercing, centered usually at the base of the nipple. It can be pierced at any angle but is usually done horizontally or, less often, vertically. It is also possible to place multiple piercings on top of one another.
context_section_description: The perforation of the nipple to apply jewelry has been practiced by various people throughout history. Male nipple piercing was reported to be done by the Karankawa Native Americans, female nipple piercing is practiced by the Kabyle people in Algeria.
  
  In the western world it potentially dates back to the 14th century. The anthropologist Hans Peter Duerr traces the earliest known practice of female nipple piercing as a fashion statement to the Court of Queen Isabeau of Bavaria (1385 to 1417), quoting Eduard Fuchs he describes that: 
  ...fashion eventually led to the application of rouge to freely display nipples [...] placing diamond-studded rings or small caps on them, even piercing them and passing gold chains through them decorated with diamonds, possibly to demonstrate the youthful resilience of the bosom.
   However, these sources are difficult to verify.
  Nipple piercing became a fashion trend among society women during the Victorian period around 1890. Reports about nipple piercings were featured in magazines such as Vogue at the end of the 19th century:
  For a long time I could not understand why I should consent to such a painful operation without sufficient reason. I soon, however came to the conclusion that many ladies are ready to bear the passing pain for the sake of love. I found that the breasts of those who wore rings were incomparably rounder and fuller developed than those who did not. My doubts were now at an end...so I had my nipples pierced, and when the wounds were healed, I had rings inserted...with regard to the experience of wearing these rings, I can only say that they are not in the least uncomfortable or painful. On the contrary, the slight rubbing and slipping of the rings causes in me an extremely titillating feeling, and all my colleagues I have spoken to on this subject have confirmed my opinion.
  — – London socialite writing in Vogue, 1890
  However, the historian Lesley Hall has commented that these claims might be traced back to a few letters published in the magazine Society during 1899, which can be judged as erotic fantasies rather than descriptions of actual activity.
  In the late 1970s, the practice was revived again by Jim Ward and gained foothold in gay BDSM and leather subcultures. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the modern primitive movement embraced nipple piercings among other forms of body modification. With its roots at the United States west coast, modern primitives were intrigued by indigenous, so-called "primitive" cultures and adopted various forms of body modification. The mainstream popularity of the practice is partly due to celebrities who publicly displayed their piercings or confessed to have one in the 1990s, such as Tommy Lee, Corey Taylor and Lenny Kravitz.
  Nipple piercing has gained much popularity in recent years with many celebrities and fashion models having this type of piercing. Despite this, many are motivated to get a nipple piercing for personal reasons including for self-expression and to feel unique. Furthermore, at least one study has shown people take, on average, 1–2 years to make a decision to get pierced.
caption: The medieval queen Isabeau of Bavaria (1385 to 1417) is the first historically documented case of pierced nipples.[1]
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