Victorian Arts and Crafts Spiky Hair Comb

Ref: AN-1110-043

This is an example of an Arts and Crafts hair accessory done in a historical style. The Arts and Crafts movement was a precursor of the Art Nouveau. It arose from dissatisfaction with the sterile mass produced goods of the later 19th century. Arts and Crafts jewellers wanted to return to the medieval ideal whereby an object was designed and made by the same crafter using traditional methods.

One of the characteristics of the Victorian period was the immense amount of borrowing which occurred from other periods and cultures. This particularly affected the design of jewellery and personal adornments. Therefore we have hair ornaments in the Greek, the Medieval and other styles. This lovely comb is certainly influenced by the kinds of spiky tiara like ornaments which we see upon the heads of Roman matrons. The view from the front of the dressing does indeed suggest a tiara rather than a comb. There was is attempt at authenticity in reproducing a genuine Roman hair ornament. The nostalgia for glorious times past is the main inspiration.

Size: 6 x 8 ins (approx 15 x 20 cms) 

£120.00

Celluloid Art Nouveau Roses Design Hair Comb

Ref: AN-1110-045

Art Nouveau is a style which lasted a comparatively short period from about 1895 to 1919. It is distinguished by complex interlaced lines, naturalistic or organic motifs, and by the use of cabochon rather than facet cut stones. The earliest Art Nouveau ornaments were handmade but 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 produced by machine and made in synthetics.

Size: 5½ x 4 ins (approx 14 x 10 cms) 

£80.00

Mid Victorian Cut Steel Hinged Hair Comb

Ref: AN-1110-046

This is a handsome hinged cut steel hair comb from the mid Victorian period of 1860 to 1880s. The use of cut steel is very characteristic of the Victorian period. Production of cut-steel goods began in the early 1800s and continued until the end of the century, although the later examples tend to be very crude in comparison with earlier ones. Cut steel combs and tiaras are characteristically made with headings covered with studs of faceted steel and riveted to a backing plate of white metal. In the best examples of steel work there is a combination of different sizes and shapes of studs in the same ornament.

Size: 3¾ x 4 ins (approx 9 x 10 cms) 

£120.00

Victorian Carved Ivory Hair Comb

Ref: AN-1110-047

When Queen Victoria became Empress of India in the 1870s it began a vogue for oriental handicrafts. We find these imported ornaments in a wide variety of materials and styles, of which carved ivory and tortoiseshell are most prized. They were often made with oriental style motifs, such as lotus, dragons, phoenix, etc, but in a style which was not native to the lands in which they were produced. Some combs are however carved with western type motifs such as roses. They are an interesting example of an era, and of how personal adornment was influenced by travel to other lands and cultures.

This very beautiful comb is made of hand carved ivory. It has a design which represents a formalised pansy flower in the very centre of the heading, surrounded by its foliage. Chinese ivory carving found a market in England almost as soon as trading-links had been established. The demand was such in fact that the various European countries involved established trading posts or factories on Chinese soil, where goods would be procured and even produced specifically for export to the West.

Size: 5 x 4¼ ins (approx 13 x 11 cms) 

£250.00

Mid Victorian Pre Ban Tortoiseshell Hair Comb

Ref: AN-1110-049

This tall and extremely fine genuine tortoiseshell hair comb dates from the latter 1870s or possibly 1880s. These mantilla style combs were extremely fashionable at this time and the material of choice was tortoiseshell. The hairstyles of the mid-Victorian period were large and impressive, with vast quantities of false hair being used to form a huge chignon or, for the evening, trailing ringlets.. Therefore the ornaments which were used to adorn them were often equally large and impressive. High and handsome combs were used by a fashionable Victorian lady to adorn the back of the hair, probably being placed above a large chignon.

This is a very beautiful example which has been carved from one large solid piece of the dark mottled form of 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 tall looped shapes which decorate the heading.

Size: 7 x 6 ins (approx 18 x 15 cms) 

£130.00