Category Archives: Chinese Hair Comb

Chinese Hair Ornaments

2 Replies

China’s Jiangsu Province now has a comb museum. Displaying 300 ancient combs, the museum is located in Changzhou.

The combs of Changzhou fall into two categories: Shue and Bi. Shue combs are made of wood and are practical items with which to comb hair. The Bi is fine-toothed and used to clean the hair of debris. Both combs were made into an art form and were given as gifts of tribute at the Imperial Court.

To celebrate the opening of this museum, I thought I’d do a post on Chinese combs and hair sticks. This is a Changzhou Bi comb. Made of ivory and brass, the artist painted a Chinese scene with perspective and signed the piece.

These are two Chinese hair sticks from the Qing Dynasty (1945-present):

And this is a bridal hair ornament from Kazakstan, an autonomous region of China.

Some combs I like

2 Replies

This late-Edo tortoiseshell comb is held in an open silver frame with a silver mount Fuji behind gold and silver birds. The fruit on the tree are pearls. A similar decoration graces the matching kogai stick. It comes in its original box and is selling for $1400 on Trocadero.

I also liked this carved gilt lacquer comb inlaid with mother of pearl flowers and decorated with flying cranes. With matching kogai stick, the set is signed Sho Rin. It is selling for $1200 on Trocadero.

However,I just bought my second Chinese export comb for the Victorian market, c. 1890, because it had a bird on it, and I don’t have a birdie comb. ;-) The price was $355 on ebay.

Cartier and White Jade

Leave a reply

This tortoise comb from Cartier was made c. 1920. The hinged tiara is a carved coral segment framed in pearls, decorated with 1.15 carats of old European-cut diamonds. It is signed Cartier, Paris, and numbered 0000 and 0288 (maker’s marks). It also has French Assay marks, with an estimated value is $10,000 to $15,000.

This Chinese white-jade comb comes from the Tang Dynasty (618–907). The authenticity of its age can be verified because it is listed in “Jades in the Hei-Chi Collection,” Beijing, 2006, p. 135. Its estimated value is $9000.

Oriental Carving

Leave a reply

The first two items for today are Chinese hair pins. The first is from my private collection and had been carved from one piece of tortoiseshell, the blonde part representing a bird. I believe the piece to be dated c. 1890.

The second hair pin is coral, Tang Dynasty (618-907), and carved in the form of a phoenix.

Our third item is an Indian ivory comb, made in Sri Lanka in the 18th Century. The woman is dancing to the music of panava instruments, perhaps drums and a flute, with parrots surrounding her. In Indian dancing, each pose conveys an emotional state during storytelling. Although the ivory is discolored, the carving is magnificent. These were luxury combs, which would be included in dowries. Both the phoenix Chinese hair pin and this Indian comb reside in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Chinese Sculpture and Ruby Hair Pins

Leave a reply


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.



Some Lovely Things on Ebay

2 Replies


A beautiful Lalique comb with a gold top centered by a woman wearing a hat, surrounded by two birds. One bird head is outside the design. The other is hidden behind the design. The comb is made of horn. Listed for $3000, an offer of $2000 was accepted on March 21. The markings said Lalique Paris 585. You may refer to auction #200321633101.




A lovely ivory pheonix comb that the Chinese made for the Victorian market sold for $266 on March 26. You may refer to auction #350180262355.




Finally, an Angela Cummings barrette she made for Tiffany’s in the 1980s sold for $990 on March 25. She is a wonderful designer known for her original interpretations of natural forms in gold and diamonds. You may refer to auction #360140208688.

Chinese Export Shell Comb

Leave a reply


This tortoiseshell mantilla comb made by the Chinese for the Victorian market is huge and in only has one tiny stress mark. The name Spencer is featured in three places, and it dates from 1840. The decoration is a phoenix in a spray of flowers. It sold for $822 on  March 19. You may refer to auction #280322136174.

Kingfisher Blue

Leave a reply


Since we are having a discussion about Chinese hair ornaments, I found a rare book on amazon.com called Kingfisher Blue by Beverley Jackson. In it, one of the featured collectors, Eric Zhuang from Taipei, Taiwan, shares three images from the book, which come from his own collection. In the Ming Dynasty, these headdresses were worn by empresses and imperial concubines. In the Qing Dynasty, they were worn by civilian women during the wedding ceremony. Here are Eric’s three Kingfisher Phoenix Coronets from the Late Qing Dynasty. The entire Qing Dynasty was from 1644-1911.