This story really starts with an electrical fault in our house. The electrical firm promised to send our usual, pleasant and utterly competent electrician after he had finished another job. So somewhat later in the afternoon he arrived, but unexpectedly brought an apprentice we had never seen before, because he had always come by… Continue Reading
The collection of the General Pitt Rivers, a 19th century soldier and scholar is a wonderful sensory onslaught. His thirst to discover and to develop his understanding of human development oozes from a plethora of cabinets. The organizational system is an arrangement which tells us something of the quests and concepts which clearly delighted him.… 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
A new exhibition, at the Museu Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona) is setting out to restore the figure of Josep Tapiró to its rightful place as one of the leading representatives of international Orientalism. Josep Tapiró i Baró (Reus 1836-1913), the first painter from the Iberian Peninsula to settle in Tangier, was a direct witness of the extraordinary urban and… 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
Natalia Shabelsky (1841- 1905) was a lady with a true passion. This Russian noblewoman devoted her life to the conservation of endangered folk art traditions. Natalia travelled throughout Russia collecting fine textiles and eventually created a Museum in her Moscow home. A collection which housed over 4000 pieces. It was the largest collection of late… Continue Reading
The Sainsbury Institute is saddened to announce the death of its benefactor Lady Lisa Sainsbury. Lady Sainsbury died on 6th February aged 101. It was her vision, and that of her husband Sir Robert, who died in 2000, that led to the establishment of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and… Continue Reading
Rita became interested in making jewelry in the early 1970s when she took a silversmithing class through the local community college. By the mid-1970’s, she had developed an interest in ethnic beads and artifacts and began designing necklaces. In 1977-1978, Rita and the family lived abroad as Rita’s husband, David, a professor at UCLA, was… 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
Khamsa – The Hand in North African Jewelry The khamsa, or hand, is a widely used symbol in North African jewelry. In design it can take the form of a realistic human hand with four fingers and a thumb, or it can take a stylized form which is more representational. Either way, the khamsa is… Continue Reading
I collect antique textiles, primarily Islamic, –embroidery, tapestry, weaving, quilting — as opposed to carpets which are not only more expensive but more susceptible to counterfeiting and false aging. These cloths were primarily made for home use as clothing, hangings, floor covers, table cloths, animal covers– Most are tribal but some, such as ikats, were… 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