It was a time before nations. Celtic tribes ruled Gaul until they were conquered by the Roman Empire (121 – 51 BC). In the early 5th Century, Roman Gaul was overwhelmed by the Visigoths, Burgundians, and Franks until 481, when Frankish King Childeric I defeated the Visigoths, and his son King Clovis I united all… Continue Reading
Art Nouveau’s main ingredients were the Symbolists, who believed that art should reflect the truth indirectly as if in a dream; the flat perspective and strong colors of Japanese wood block prints; and Japanese organic forms and representations of nature. Out came the curvilinear forms of Art Nouveau, which lasted only 20 years (1890-1910). In… Continue Reading
A Gache (or Dari) was a large wig which originated in Northern Korea.. Originally worn by Korean women of high status and also by ( Kissaeng) Courtesans. Over decades the fashion for gache became widespread, and was adopted by women of all classes. The fashion for these enormous hairstyles endured for many years and was commonly… Continue Reading
Recently a very nice Art Nouveau back comb sold on E-Bay for a little less than the $2400 Buy-It-Now price. Dimensions: 6 inches wide by 5 1/2 inches high. The subject was Sycamore-maple-leaf seeds. The comb was made from horn with pearl seeds and signed, illegibly, with the number 14 next to the signature. At… Continue Reading
On 10 December 2014, Sotheby’s Paris held an auction of African and Oceanic Art consisting of 105 exquisite lots. The inspirational connection between Modernism and African art was forged when European colonists brought back sculptures, masks, reliquary objects, furniture, and hair ornaments from the cultures they had enslaved, murdered, and misrepresented as primitive. Picasso continually… Continue Reading
This object may be unfamiliar to most people – it is a head scratcher or scratching stick (gratoir) and typical examples are shown in the accompanying pictures. I have known about their existence for a long time and occasionally seen them for sale, always expensive. They are referred to in my book (see page 25)… Continue Reading
Jen Cruse, author of The Comb: Its History and Development, is selling some of her ethnic collection at Michael Backman Ltd, an art gallery in London. Many of these pieces appear in her book. The descriptions are as scholarly and beautifully phrased as Cruse’s writing. Whether buyer or student, these combs are worth your consideration.… Continue Reading
Combs ornament the hair and reveal true beauty in a woman’s face. Its greatest creators borrowed motifs from nature, such as flowers, insects, and birds. Art Nouveau’s roots lived underneath those flowers. Natural themes were combined with French Symbolist ideals, which posited that artists should reveal the truth indirectly, using suggestive metaphors. Lalique’s orchid combs… Continue Reading
Many women practice their art secretly. Emily Dickinson had fewer than 12 poems published in her lifetime until her sister Lavinia discovered 1800 of them in a locked chest after she died. Jane Austen was first published anonymously. Collecting is also an art. To do it well, you must have an encyclopedic knowledge of the… Continue Reading
This delightful small handbag (purse) cased comb dates from the 1920-30s, a popular accessory for smart ladies of the Art Deco period. The case and comb are made from an opaque cream celluloid and the case is embellished with a small lizard and even smaller ant, both appliquéd to the surface. The significance of the… Continue Reading
After rebellions crushed a united China under the Han Dynasty in 220 AD, a turbulent period began where power moved from North to South. During the Six Dynasties (220 – 589 AD), especially the Period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589), Confucianism was challenged, as Buddhism and Taoism took hold. It was a period… Continue Reading
The Li ethnic minority lives mainly in the center and south of Hainan Province. According to historical records, they have been on Hainan Island for over 3000 years. The Li people have the earliest weaving techniques in Chinese history. They are skilled in spinning and weaving silk cotton. Today, their traditional clothing is only worn… Continue Reading
For the Japanese comb collector, it is helpful to be able to discern the difference between artistic and decorative pieces. Auction prices often confirm the fact that the more art qualities a a piece has, the more collectable it becomes. Decorative hair combs (which are often quite beautiful in their own right), will not possess… Continue Reading
Nine thousand years removed From the scenes my ancestors loved, Blue-foam beach, abalone shell What is America to me? For the early part of my life, “race” defined quite a lot of the boundaries of my world. When you grew up poor AND brown, for some people in the United States (US), it was a… Continue Reading
The Industrial Revolution was built on the invention of new materials. Machines allowed them to be mass produced into cheap products, quickly. The exploitation of sweatshop laborers had a profound impact on society. Plastic comb making was no exception. In America, the most famous factory was in Leominster, Massachusetts. In France, combs were made in… Continue Reading
Will you share a table with me? I will show you some tribal combs and art I’ve collected from Sumatra (the big silver comb in the center) and the Philippines. This wooden comb decorated with wild boar siblings comes from the Philippine island of Palawan. In Northern Luzon, the Cordilleran language group has several dialects.… Continue Reading
In my book Ethnic Jewellery and Adornment (Ethnic Art Press and Macmillan, 2009), I described and illustrated (p. 170) a very rare comb from Tanimbar, situated in the east of Indonesia, in the southern Moluccas (Maluku). I was unable to show there the only drawing of a person actually wearing the comb, which together with… Continue Reading
When trade links with China were re-established in the 18th century, the earliest and largest markets were in the West. Chinese teas and silks were the prime commodities of trade with Europe and America and an increasing demand for items such as porcelains, ivories (from African elephant tusks) and fans developed over time. Primarily centered… Continue Reading
My name is Cenk Sertdemir, or Salchak Kurt Şaman. In this video, I am performing the ritual Sacrament of the Black Sea, or Karadenizde Saman Ayini. It is important to me that people know Siberian Shamanism is directly linked to the real Turkish culture, in which we are called Kham Kishi. It means protector of… Continue Reading
Excessive research forms an integral part of my creative work. In the Fall of 2011, a research project gave me the chance to realize a goal. I learned to work with three traditional materials of animal origin: the stingray, feathers, and mother of pearl. This project allowed me to master and integrate these materials into… Continue Reading
Many contemporary tribal artists reach to their nations’ historical sources for inspiration, which provides for a certain continuation of tradition. However, they do not always admit that reference. This makes the process of “joining stylistic dots” much harder, but not impossible. The comb presented below, carved c. 1977 by Stanley Hill, Sr., (Mohawk Clan) is… Continue Reading
Between the Kunlun and Himalayan mountains, in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir lies the kingdom of Ladakh. Its capital, Leh, was an important stop on the trade route between Buddhist Tibet to the east and Muslim Kashmir to the west. It was also important to merchants traveling between India and China. The region… Continue Reading
The Luba Empire was a pre-colonial Central African state, which was founded by King Kongolo Maniema, c. 1585. The Hemba people were incorporated because they started to migrate into Luba territory at the beginning of the Empire. In addition to being artistically influenced by the Luba, the Hemba endured kidnappings by Arab raiders for… Continue Reading
To elaborate on the development of Chinese gold jewelry, I had to take an archaeological journey from the Shang Dynasty (1766 – 1122 B.C.) to the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911 A.D.). Looking at the maps of the region in the two time periods it was clear that China started out small. Amid tribal… Continue Reading
According to archeological finds by Heinrich Schliemann, an elliptical gold diadem with removable crown-ornaments was first discovered in a Mycenaean funerary mound called Grave Circle A, or the “Grave of Women”, c. 1600-1500 BC. The Mycenaeans were an Indo-European people who settled in Southern Greece along the Agean Sea in the Bronze Age (1600-1100 BC). They came… Continue Reading
How did it start? What makes someone collect Ethiopian hairpins? My favourite areas have always been the Sahara, even as a child, I dreamed of going there and riding on camels through the sand. Of course the Tuareg culture found its way to me, I read about it, got to know Tuareg who lived in… Continue Reading
CREATIVE MUSEUM is a private collection remarkable for its quality, beauty and the rarity of its pieces. It specializes in everything to do with hair adornments. These items, usually very rarely studied or collected, are bursting with information of all kinds: ethnological, sociological, technological, artistic… CREATIVE MUSEUM: a totally virtual museum It brings together more… Continue Reading