Early American Steer Horn Hair Comb

Ref: AN-0903-020

Many early American portraits and tintype photos show the female sitters to be wearing large hair combs similar to this one. The final picture shows a lady in the dress of the 1830s wearing a similar example in plain shell.

This fine comb is made in clarified horn which had then been tinted a deep honey colour. The translucency of the material can be seen in several pictures where the ornament is presented against the light.

This one is in fine condition for its age, which is approximately 180 years old, with just a few bug bites to the bottom points of some of the tines.

Size: 5 x 6½ ins (approx 12.5 x 16.5 cms)

£60.00

French Ivory Overlay Lacy Hair Comb

Ref: AN-0903-022

This ornament is made by a process called overlay, whereby it is formed from two distinctly coloured layers. The layers were then cut through so that the one beneath showed through the design, or at various points in the carving.

Here, for example a core of creamy-beige French ivory has been cast with a shiny black shell, and then hand finished by being carved and engraved. The graving tool has cut through the upper creamy layer into the black, producing an interesting topographical effect with peaks of black and valleys of white.

The comb is formed as a mantilla type, with a high upstanding heading which can be seen from all angles, as in the final picture. This shows a young lady in the dress of the 1870s and wearing a similar upstanding hair comb.

Size: 5½ x 4¾ ins (approx 14 x 12 cms)

£50.00

French Jet Spanish Mourning Hair Comb

Ref: AN-1104-026

This Victorian mourning comb has a foundation of glossy black celluloid and is literally encrusted with many small faceted pieces of French jet. It is of the older type whereby the jet pieces were attached to a black enamelled metal frame which is attached to the comb mount. The wedge shaped heading shows jets in several different shapes: circles, ovals, lozenges and ellipses. This is a sure sign of a quality ornament,

This handsome ornament was probably worn by a lady who had entered second mourning. Victorian mourning etiquette was very strict and required the bereaved to wear plain black with no ornaments for the first year. After this came secondary mourning when ornaments might be introduced, so long as they were dark or black. French jet, a faceted form of black glass, was one of the most popular materials used for this purpose.

Size: 5¾  ins h x 3 ins w (approx cms 14.5 x 7.5 cms) 

£45.00

Arts and Crafts Hair Comb with Green Cabochon

Ref: AN-1110-022

This is a nice quality hair comb dating from the late Victorian or Edwardian period of circa 1890 to 1910. It is of the type called a back comb being deeply curved to fit the back of the skull and to support the elaborate padded hairstyles and immense hats of the period. The cast silver tone heading has a very artsy look with it’s bunches of grapes and central faux jade cabochon.

Size: 3 x 4¾ ins (approx 7.5 x 12 cms) 

£90.00

Mid Victorian Carved Horn Hinged Comb

Ref: AN-1110-023

This is deep amber tinted comb made from natural horn and dating from the 1860s or 1870s. It has an unusual fold down heading quite unlike the usual run of combs, and this had a specific purpose. In the mid-Victorian coiffure, masses of false hair were worn in order to construct the elaborate dressings. Combs such as these would have been very effective at concealing the place where these false tresses joined the wearer’s natural hair. The final illustrations show two fashion plates from the magazine “Hairdresser’s Journal” for 1863 in which a model wears the kind of coiffure described above, and an elaborate comb in the centre of the chignon. The curls which appear from beneath may well be false.

Size: 3¾ x 4 ins (approx 9 x 10 cms) 

£110.00

Mid Victorian Hair Comb with Faux Sapphire and Emerald

Ref: AN-1110-025

This is a very lovely comb of a type which was often called the Josephine comb or Peigne Josephine after the wife of the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Josephine combs are distinguished by having a tall usually wedge shaped heading adorned along the top with some prominent decorative element. This may take the form of a row of balls or large elaborate jewels. This comb has a row of large faceted square cut faux sapphires set within an ornate gilt mount. Underneath is a band of smaller stones interspersed with green.

Size: 4¾  x 4 ins (approx 11.5 x 10 cms) 

£150.00

Victorian Dyed Horn and Jet Mourning Comb

Ref: AN-1110-026

This is an excellent example of a mid to late Victorian mourning hair comb. The comb itself is made from carved natural horn which has been dyed black. It is further embellished with small balls of jet, placed so as to resemble flower motifs on the openwork panels.

Size: 4¼ x 4¾ ins (approx 11 x 12 cms) 

£80.00

Early 19th Century Carved Pre Ban Tortoiseshell Comb

Ref: AN-1110-028

This handsome genuine tortoiseshell comb is from the early Victorian period and probably dates from the 1840s or 1850s. At this time comb making was still a handicraft and this fine example was probably hand carved in a small local manufactory. The heading has an interesting design with a vase in the centre with foliage bursting from it, flanked by classical scrollwork.  The comb is carved from one large solid piece of the mid brown mottled form of genuine tortoiseshell. The material is very nicely marked and highly polished. The *tortoise* type patterning has been very effectively used by the designer in fashioning the intertwined openwork shape which decorates the top border.

One of the distinguishing features of these genuine shell combs is that the tines are generally very much more pointed than in a celluloid example. This is because they were hand cut rather than moulded. The comb is in excellent condition for its age with just a tiny nick to the two tines on the extreme right.

Size: 6  x 5½  ins (approx 15 x 13 cms) 

£200.00