Author Archives: BarbaraAnne

Jamaican Shell Combs and Case, 1688

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Similar sets of tortoiseshell H combs were produced in 17th-Century Jamaica. The French produced H combs in the 1400s for religious purposes, then as the Renaissance progressed the H-comb themes became love stories. In Turkmenistan, they still make silver H combs. The comb is made of wood, and the silver is decorated with carnelian and turquoise.

Jamaica was granted arms in 1662, seven years after the British conquered the island in 1655, and eight years before Spain officially recognized Britain’s claim to the island in 1670, the Treaty of Madrid.

As you can see one handle of the H broke off one of the combs, but the carving and its history is beautiful and museum-worthy. This set is estimated at $5,000 – $7,000.

Calder Brass Tiara

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Graduated vertical brass bands, with a spiral terminal on top, extend from a brass hoop. The tiara measures 21 1/4 inches. Calder chose flat metal as a major theme of his jewelry designs in brass, copper, silver and gold.

English art historian Sir Kenneth Clark purchased the piece for his wife at the Freddy Mayor Gallery in England in 1938.

Chinese Sculpture and Ruby Hair Pins

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This Imperial Palace princess reveals a beaded necklace, while her hair is tied in an elaborate topknot beneath a Buddhist tiara and diadem. It was made in Dehua, Fujian China by artist Zhizao, c. 1750-1800.


Although we’ve seen many hairpins in this style, this pair caught my attention because of the beautiful scrollwork, rubies, and diamonds.



Tlingit Comb

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The Tlingit were a matrilineal society, who lived on the Southeastern Alaska Coast. Their religion was mostly Russian Orthodox. Tlingit Shamans wore combs and hairpins during ceremonies, as well as when they were not practicing tribal medicine. This wooden comb is polychrome, which means it is made with many colors, and it is decorated with spirit helpers and crest emblems. It sold at Sotheby’s for $146,500, and is 9 3/4″ tall.

$4000 what?

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This beautiful 18K-gold, pearl, and lapis Victorian crown-shaped tiara on a tortoiseshell comb is a magnificent example of period artwork, c.1850. However, it is selling on Ruby Lane for $4850. There is the slightest of damage to the last tine on the right, but I don’t think it devalues the piece. But $4850? I guess it’s a Sotheby’s price. The enamel comb I showed a few posts down sold at Sotheby’s for 9375 GBP. Good luck to the dealer. It is beautiful.

Alexander Calder Barrette

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Just after the Allies won the Second World War, John and Ruth Boland acquired this Alexander Calder brooch/barette at the Paris Exhibition in Washington, DC. The year was 1944. Calder started making jewelry in the 1940’s, and of course hair ornaments were included. The inventiveness of these small pieces later influenced his larger works. This brooch/barrette sold in 2006 for $192,000 at Sothebys.

Two Lovely Things on Ebay

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A revival tiara with three enamel portraits of 15th-century women, hinged to a faux tortoiseshell comb sold for $496 on July 1. The portraits were framed in silver in the middle of a highly ornamented silver tiara with paste red and blue stones. It was a beautiful Victorian Renaissance Revival piece, c. 1870.



There is also a 14K gold eagle, signed P Brandt, hinged to a three-pronged tortoiseshell hair pin in its original box.





Lalique, the Master

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He changed the imagination of the world for all time. Here are an orchid, and something I’ve never seen before: hair sticks with a bouquet of coral flowers on top, very geisha, very Japonisme. The cattleya orchid is made of ivory, gold, enamel, horn, and diamonds and resides in the Cleveland Museum of Art, c.1903-1904. The coral flowers grace the MuseeD’Orsay in Paris, c. 1902.