Just because I didn’t think we needed to see the swastika comb forever as the blog’s first post, I’m putting up a picture of me in Susan Maxwell Schmidt’s pearl geisha hair sticks she made just for me! That’s because I send her lots of exclamation points in my emails every time I receive one of her creations. LMAO. She’s going to kill me for saying that. Anyway, they are gorgeous, and I love them. Soon, a “some lovely things on ebay” post. Cheers!
LC Tiffany designed 3 Queen Anne’s Lace hair ornaments, one of which is in the Metropolitan Museum. It is made of silver, copper, opals, demantoid garnets, garnets, and enamel and is 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Like Lalique, Tiffany favored the common forms of nature, and did 3 of these ornaments to show the flower at different stages of bloom. 
Another common form of nature is the fish pond with goldfish in it. I happen to have one, and goldfish are feisty creatures with a lot of personality. Here is Lalique drawing one, which is giving its opinion of being trapped in a comb. “I don’t want anything to do with this!” the goldfish says, as the butterfly flies away.
Sandy over at Ruby Lane said there was a storm over this comb, and having finally received it, I can imagine why. There are just no words to describe how beautiful it is, and how much I love it. But I also did a little research on the manufacturer because he was a Jew from New York City, and my family emigrated on the boats to see the Statue of Liberty and escape the Cossacks in the shtetels of Russia.
F J Kaldenberg’s father started a meerschaum pipe business in 1858, his son took over in 1869. They made pipes, canes, and ivory goods. From this historical article in the New York Times written on April 8, 1893, the business failed.
If you look at the label, it looks like P J Kaldenberg, but I know it’s F J from this quote in the article, “Mr. Kaldenberg has three stores situated on Nassau Streets and Fulton and Cliff Streets and at East Astor Place.” All of these locations are listed on the label of the box accompanying my ivory comb. How many combs would this company have made? I can’t imagine a lot. But given the three locations on the label, I’d have to date this c. 1869 – 1893. Here are pictures of the label, the comb itself, and the dresser my treasure will sit on. I’m glad another Jewish Princess from New York City has it. :-)
I’m keeping the box closed on my dresser to avoid discoloration to the ivory. I will have fun opening the box and looking at this piece of history in wonder.
There was an auction of gorgeous combs recently, which did very well. There was also a beautiful coral and shell comb I loved. Finally, on Ruby Lane, there was a drop-dead Peigne Josephine ivory comb in its original box, made by House of Kaldenberg in New York City (c.1840-1880) that I got to first. The dealer told me there was a storm over this comb, so I guess you can post your hate mail here. ;-) I also bought some real antique Chinese kingfisher oraments, which I love. So here they are!
This Chinese ivory comb was part of a beautiful collection. It has an elaborate floral center surrounded by a delicately hand-carved frame and sold for $260 on Feb 26. You may refer to auction #140208060513.
There was a stunning garnet tiara on a shell comb. I lost the auction, but I have the pictures. If anyone knows how much it finally sold for, please put it in the comments, and I’ll update this post.
This tortoiseshell Chinese comb with a dragon theme sold for $202.50 on Feb. 26. You may refer to auction #130198909196.
A celluloid art deco parrot comb sold for $46 on Feb 17. I have a bit of a weakness for parrots since one owns me. You may refer to auction #200199653557.
This beautiful English coral tiara hinged to a shell comb, c. 1880, sold for $257 on Feb. 28. You may refer to auction #160211215401.
And finally, the Ruby Lane ivory comb I grabbed because when I saw it, my brain exploded.
Here is what my collection box looks like. I have the 4 kingfisher ornaments I bought are in there. I love them. The butterfly pendant is in perfect condition and takes my breath away.
Spring is almost here! I hope everyone is planting. :-)
This 18K gold hair comb with a bamboo frame sold Jan 7 on ebay for $1102.77. It was made by Madison Ave. jewelry designer David Webb, who gave the traditional Japanese kushi shape his own unique, original interpretation.
There was also an auction of Japanese combs, some pieces of which had great artistry. Of course, the combs were expensive because it costs a lot to get them, and many didn’t sell. I made a deal with the seller to buy this ivory kanzashi for $500 in installment payments because when I saw it, I freaked.
This beautiful Taisho kushi did not sell for a starting price of $480. It is tortoiseshell, painted with a greyish-black lacquer, and it has a toy theme. I think the colors and bold design are magnificent on this piece. The artist GYOKUSEI signed his work. Maybe if the kushi were in mint condition, it would have sold. You can never tell, but I remember a similar piece on Trocadero of a Noh mask selling for $1295. It took a year to sell that piece, but maybe it was by the same artist.
This Meiji blonde tortoiseshell kushi has a superb three-diminsional carving of an old traveler saying goodbye to birds dressed in kimonos, as he goes down the road into the mountains. The artist carved his painting on the front and back to give perspective. Again, the condition is not perfect, but the artistry is fabulous. What a unique theme, how elaborately it was expressed. I loved it, but it also did not sell for a starting price of $480.
A seller wanted $5500 for this Russian Imperial tiara brooch/barrette that was advertised as being from Faberge and made for the Czar’s mistress, a Russian prima ballerina, but no one bought it. You may refer to Auction #250200100650.
Finally, this lovely silver comb from the state of Rajasthan in North India, whose top is a receptacle to hold perfumed oil, sold for $152.50 on Dec 30. The cap is graced by two peacocks, who are the Hindu symbol for immortality. You may refer to Auction #290192625758. There is a dealer on Trocadero who is trying to sell a similar piece for $600, so this was a good buy. :-)
While Charles Lewis Tiffany’s jewelry store produced this diamond and shell comb (c.1910, sold Sothebys, 6,600 GBP, 30, March, 2006):
his son was changing the way the world thought about art, and made this:(Louis Comfort Tiffany comb, c. 1904, Metropolitan Museum of Art, priceless)
कंघी
For more scholarly research, please examine these books, which can be found in our Resource Library. I’ve also picked out some nice Tiffany & Co. silver jewelry for your enjoyment: Bead drop silver earrings, a sterling silver wire bracelet, and a Frank Gehry Orchid Drop pendant.
  The Jewelry and Enamels of Louis Comfort Tiffany
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  Louis Comfort Tiffany At Tiffany & Co.
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  The Lamps of Louis Comfort Tiffany
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Whether the tops are sculpted wood, the woods are exotic and multicolored, the style is geisha, or a lampwork bead is on top, modern hair sticks are bold, brightly colored, and full of imagination. My favorite artist is Susan Maxwell Schmidt of Longlocks Hair Sticks.
I’m not doing this post because she needs new customers or because she’s a wonderful human being, even though she is. :-) Susan has a mailing list of over 1000 people, and when she makes a batch of new sticks, they and the special orders sell out in about 5 minutes. It’s infuriating. ;-)
What makes Susan’s work so coveted is that each customer gets a handmade, unique piece. And she decopauges and/or paints the hair sticks to go with fabulous lampwork beads.
The first pair in this picture, “PlumWild,” uses beads from Australian artist Suzanne Booth, who sells on ebay. The hair sticks are bone, “hand painted in satiny plum purple with an ultra metallic drizzle design of jet black and gold, under layers of protective clear enamel.” The other Special Edition lampwork beaded sticks in Row 1 are decopauged. Their names are WildMeadow and Nottingham. In Row 2 are HolidayBloom, SpringWhispers, and SurfSide.
Special Edition pieces sell for $85 to $90 a pair. However, Susan has sticks in all price ranges and a lockaway plan, which allows people to pay for a set over 3 months. Gorgeous? Or, what? I think she should be on HGTV’s Modern Masters. :-) 
Being married to Tom Cruise has made Katie Holmes one of the most beautiful women in the world. To accompany her subtle-pink-satin, scalloped Armani dress, she wore a magnificent set of jade hair ornaments when she attended the Vanity Fair Oscar party on Feb. 25. 
LEFT: From the estate of Francis J. Whitney comes this silver hair comb made by Alexander Calder himself, c. 1948. The work is registered in the archives of the Calder Foundation, New York, under application number It sold for $55,000. RIGHT: An African ivory comb from the Tshokwe tribe, composed of three tiers of intricate openwork, geometric design above the flared shoulder and thin tines; varied creamy patina. It is listed in Robbins and Nooter 1989: 549, figure 1491. Price Estimate: $2000 to $3000. 