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Author Archives: jencruse
Sumba Combs
The spectacular high combs worn by young women, brides and adolescent girls in East Sumba, Indonesia, form part of their rich traditional costume for festivals, ceremonies and weddings. These treasured objects, belonging to the Island’s aristocratic families, have passed down … Continue reading
Posted in Jen Cruse, Sumba Hair Comb
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Jen Cruse: The Spider Motif on Combs
Spiders are not insects but belong to the class of arachnids, along with scorpions and mites. Numerous kinds of spiders exist all over the world and many weave webs from a natural secretion of silk thread exuding from glands in … Continue reading
Jen Cruse: The Art of Chinese Ivory Comb Carving
By Jen Cruse: 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 … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese Hair Comb, Jen Cruse
Tagged Chinese Ivory Hair Combs, Jen Cruse, Jen Cruse: The Comb
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Jen Cruse: Mongolian Hair Ornaments From Our Community
Written by Jen Cruse, featuring the collections of Gina Hellweger and The Creative Museum. Mongol women traditionally wore their thick black hair tied in long plaits falling forward onto their shoulders, placing slightly curved silver combs flat on the top … Continue reading
Jen Cruse: Rolled Gold on Victorian Hairpins
The process of producing rolled gold, invented in Birmingham in 1785 by a London manufacturer, was known as gold plating until the 1840s, when electro-gilding methods were introduced. Rolled gold is produced by fusing a thin layer of gold alloy … Continue reading
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Jen Cruse: Garnets Adorning Hair Combs in the 19th Century
Garnets are semi-precious gemstones of the silicate (quartz) group of minerals, found in metamorphic rock in a variety of colours. They have been known since the Bronze Age not only as gemstones but also for their abrasive qualities. The gemstone … Continue reading
Jen Cruse: Mid-19th Century Elegance: Hinged Comb with Bejeweled Heading
This gilt brass comb has a hinged decorative heading composed of pink, yellow and white golds and set with small garnets, emeralds and turquoises. The intricate crafting of the heading depicts leaves and flowers springing from two vases, placed on … Continue reading
Jen Cruse: Art Nouveau Horn Combs
By Jen Cruse: The Art Nouveau period was a turning point in design principals where imagination and free-flowing creativity were of the essence. The emphasis was on a return to hand craftsmanship and away from increasing industrialization. In Europe between … Continue reading
Posted in Art Nouveau, French Hair Comb
Tagged Art Nouveau combs, clarified horn, elizabeth bonte, French comb
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Jen Cruse: The Fleur-de-Lys Motif
By Jen Cruse: The fleur-de-lys (often spelt “lis”) motif is frequently encountered on ornamental haircombs, either as part of the overall decorative heading or as an applied embellishment. It is said to represent three central petals of the lily, a … Continue reading
Jen Cruse: Tortoiseshell versus Horn
For much of the nineteenth century, tortoiseshell was a luxury material that commanded high prices, whereas horn was a readily available material and inexpensive by comparison. By around 1830, the horn craftsmen found a method of clarifying and staining horn … Continue reading