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Art Nouveau French Ivory Wheat Ears Comb
Ref: AN-1008-043
This beautiful ornament is made from an early celluloid substance, popularly known as French ivory, because it was invented to substitute for the much more expensive elephant ivory which was becoming rare and expensive by the early 20th century.
It is made in the distinctive Art Nouveau style, characterised by its use of various naturalistic motifs, or by free flowing lines and organic shapes, often combined into an asymmetric design. This one features an ear of wheat or corn. The earliest Art Nouveau ornaments were hand made. As the style gained in popularity, a whole class of popular jewellery was mass produced which reproduced the typical motifs of the genre, but were manufactured by machine and made in synthetics.
The final illustration shows an early 20th century French advertisement with combs having similar asymmetrical designs.
Size: 4½ x 2½ ins (approx 11.5 x 6.5 cms)
£50.00
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Pre Ban Genuine Tortoiseshell Early 19th Century Comb
Ref: AN-1008-044
This handsome genuine tortoiseshell comb is from the early 19th century. At this time the fashionable coiffure and the accessories used to adorn it had become extremely high and complex. Great stiffened loops of hair, often false, were placed upon the crown to give height to the dressing.
This fantastical hairdressing is shown in the accompanying illustration which is taken from a fashion plate of the 1830s. Acting partly as a support for all the loops of false hair and other ornaments, many coiffures featured a high Spanish-style backcomb placed at the rear of the dressing. The final picture shows a contemporary pastel portrait of a fashionable sitter with a similar large comb,
Tortoiseshell was a very popular material for these large combs. This one is made from one large solid piece of natural shell which is highly polished and beautifully mottled and translucent in parts. It has a simple oval design in which the natural colouring of the material has been very effectively used by the artist.
Size: 6¼ x 5 ins (approx 15.5 x 13 cms)
£85.00
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Mid Victorian Gilt and Enamel “Buckle” Comb
Ref: AN-1104-030
Combs like this which incorporate a hinge allowing the heading to swivel belong firmly to the high Victorian era of 1860-1880s. In this example the heading is of gilt metal adorned with black enamel, and folds down over the tines which are of horn. As usual, the horn has been treated to resemble the much more expensive tortoiseshell.
This type of comb was generally known as a “buckle” comb from its resemblance to shoe buckles of the period. Mid Victorian hairstyles are illustrated in the final two pictures, which are taken from fashion engravings of the 1860s. Such complex coiffures often required the addition of postiche, or false hair. The illustrations show how such combs would have been used to conceal the place where false ringlets were attached with hairpins.
Size: 2¾ ins h x 1¾ ins w (approx 7 cms x 4.5 cms)
£50.00
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French Ivory Egyptian Influence Hair Comb
Ref: AN-1110-029
This beautiful ornament is made from an early celluloid substance, popularly known as French ivory, because it was invented to substitute for the much more expensive elephant ivory which was becoming rare and expensive by the early 20th century.
This handsome comb is decorated across the heading in the manner of the Egyptian Revival, which was popular during the early 20th century and into the 1920s. There is a grounding of two shades of blue enamel into which are set are gilt metal studs and clear rhinestones. Three panels of scrolled openwork complete the effect.
As with most of these Egyptian influenced ornaments there is no attempt to reproduce genuine ornaments. The designs were typically a pastiche featuring Egyptian type motifs such as papyrus leaves, lotus, the heads of pharaohs, or featuring typical Egyptian materials such as faux turquoise, coral or lapis lazuli.
Size: 5½ x 3½ ins (approx 14 x 9 cms)
£140.00
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Moorish Style Comb Decorated with Coral and Garnets
Ref: AN-1110-030
This spectacular comb is known as an Algerian style. It is made in the so called Moorish style which was fashionable in the mid Victorian period. Algerian style combs are distinguished by a series of pendants or tassels which hang from the heading and form a cascade over the hair at the back. For this reason they are sometimes known as cascade combs.
This one is made in gilded metal decorated with coral beads and garnet cabochons. It has a fat mesh chain draped from one extremity to the other and caught up in the centre by a long pendant. Instead of being upstanding, the heading folds down over the prongs. In the mid-Victorian coiffure, masses of false hair were worn in order to construct the elaborate coiffures. Combs such as these would have been very effective at concealing the addition of these false tresses. The final two illustrations show fashion plates from the magazine Hairdresser’s Journal for 1863. The models wear the kinds of hairdressing described above, and an elaborate comb is set in the centre of the chignon. These combs have pendants which hang down over the back hair in Pendeloque fashion.
Size: 3¾ x 4¾ ins (approx 9 x 12 cms)
£120.00
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