House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is wearing a brooch representing the ceremonial Mace of the House of Representatives.

The mace is a symbol of the House’s authority and this one has been used since 1841, after the original mace was destroyed when the British burned Washington during the War of 1812, according to the official historian of the House.

The symbol of the mace is often used by speakers of both parties on press releases and official communications. The actual mace is presumably kept secure to avoid a situation like the one in the British Parliament in December when one of their members stole the ceremonial mace in protest.