Category Archives: French Hair Comb

The Hair Combs of Lucien Gaillard

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Lucien Gaillard (1861-1942) was a contemporary of René Lalique and achieved equal fame c. 1900, as Art Nouveau and Japonisme swept Paris. However, unlike Lalique, Gaillard’s animals and insects were proportioned exactly. He did not elongate parts of his animals to express Symbolist philosophy. In his famous “Bluebird” comb, he observed the arch of birds’ bodies as they dove in flight and made each bird a slightly different size. You may compare Lalique’s landmark “Two Swallows with a Stalk of Oats” to Gaillard’s “Bluebird,” which sold at Christie’s for $218,000 on Oct 21, 2009.

Gaillard also paid homage to the Japanese use of realistic proportions with cherry blossoms. An Edo artist painted this cherry tree in gold maki-e tortoiseshell comb: The Miriam Slater Collection.

Gaillard carved his cherry blossoms out of horn, painted the tree bark, and depicted flower buds with pearls.

One of Gaillard’s other masterpieces resides in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Two dragonflies fight over prey. They are asymmetrical, but the design is perfectly balanced. In addition, Gaillard mixes translucent stones, semi-translucent wings, and opaque bodies.

Here are some other combs from a 2004 catalogue by Millon & Associés:

A painted horn relief of mulberry branches supports blue-white glass flowers on each end of this comb.

Gaillard spread an orchid and attached a silver ring to the inner petals. The ring sports two ladybugs and two pearls.

This horn comb’s sculpted gold leaves hold a mother-of-pearl bud. Notice how the stem of the center leaf overlaps the middle tine of the comb.

The Creative Museum also has two combs similar to the designs of Lucien Gaillard. One has clear horn leaves embellished with a paste-diamond spray and a green cabochon, and the other is a pair of ginko leaves. One ginko leaf is edged with paste diamonds, while the other has a lighter green cabachon.

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For more scholarly research, please examine the books Christie’s used, which have been added to our Resource Library. They are both by Alastair Duncan.


Paris Salons 1895-1914: Jewellery, Vol. 1: The Designers A-K
The Paris Salons, 1895-1914: Jewellery, Vol. 2: The Designers L-Z

Creative Museum: Diadem from the French Revolutionary Period

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The Creative Museum has just acquired this French seed pearl diadem. The horse-head marking on one tine indicates it was made c. 1789 – 1798, during the French Revolution.

In 1791, the Chapelier law abolished corporate rights to control precious metals. Corporations could not punch a company mark on the pieces they made and could not have any say in deciding how they would be taxed. However the Association of Goldsmiths created four “revolutionary punches,” one of which, the horse-head, is found on this comb. They did it to control the quality of manufacturing.

In this breathtaking diadem, each seed pearl is strung to a narrow, delicate wire, which is then held inside carved grooves. It has 4 “galleries.” On top is a spectacular row of seed pearls in circular motion. Underneath comes a carved section with three tones of gold, followed by narrow rows of seed pearls and yellow gold.

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For more scholarly research, please examine


Kindle Store
What Marie Antoinette Wore to the
French Revolution
Le Peigne Dans Le Monde
Napoléon et les joyaux de l’Empire

You may also examine the publications of The Creative Museum.

Jen Cruse: Are Reptiles or Bugs Ever Appealing?

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By Jen Cruse:

The answer is, obviously sometimes!

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 two creatures is obscure for such a personal item. However, my research has revealed the following:

In ancient Egyptian and Greek symbolism, a lizard represented divine wisdom and good fortune, yet in Christianity, it was regarded as evil and the devil; in Roman mythology the lizard was supposed to sleep through the winter and so symbolised death and resurrection, whilst the lizard Tarrotarro was seen as an aboriginal Australian culture hero.

The ant was considered to be the motif of industriousness; in Chinese mythology it was the ‘righteous insect’, one of orderliness, virtue, patriotism and subordination; the Greeks attributed the ant to Ceres, and in Hindu mythology it was the transitoriness of existence.

I’m not sure that any one of these interpretations solves the mystery of such creatures being used as embellishments on hair accessories, but I let the readers draw their own conclusions.

The cased comb is in good condition despite its 75 odd years. The comb, with both coarse and fine teeth, measures 4 ins (10.2 cm) by ¾ ins (1.9 cm), a neat object for an evening bag or purse.

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For more scholarly research, please examine


Encyclopedia of Symbols
The Comb, by Jen Cruse
Christie’s Art Deco

You may also study the website of the Antique Comb Collectors Club.

Divorce, Hair Combs, and Haute Couture

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Marketing value for haute couture hair accessories is created because the pieces are hidden from public view. Exclusivity, not publicity, creates value. As Daphne Guinness says, “Once a celebrity wears something, it’s already been done. I want something new.”

Legal restrictions do not allow me to mention his name. I don’t even know what it is. He and his wife divorced. However, one winter day in 1998, Jovy at the Alexandre de Paris store on 75th Street and Madison Ave. in New York City took some things out of a back drawer and said in a hushed voice, “Look at these.” With my jaw on the floor, I bought the only comb.

Her face is jewelry-grade platinum. The Swarovski crystals on top are her hair, while underneath, they form her collar. The comb itself is modern acrylic plastic, made in France. I have to believe this is the first piece of his to be posted on the web. The photograph is mine.


Costume Jewelry for Haute Couture
Kindle Store:
Classic Hollywood Designs
Fashion Jewelry: Catwalk and Couture

Creative Museum: Fabulous Auguste Bonaz

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The Creative Museum has just acquired a new Auguste Bonaz comb. Clear celluloid is decorated in a geometric red design that changes with the light. You may also notice the brilliance of Joel Olliveaud’s photography, where the dark grey shadow matches the diagonal edge of the comb, before the light softens at the bottom. This Bonaz is one of his best and a truly magnificent choice. Bravo.

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For more scholarly research, please examine the Creative Museum’s publications at the Musée d’Angouleme:

Chinese and Japanese Hair Ornaments

En tête a tête

Creative Museum: Haute Couture Mercedes Robirosa comb

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Mercedes Robirosa was one of Yves St. Laurent’s favorite models in the late 1960’s and 70’s. Laurent chose Robirosa to model the Mondrian dress, which is in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute.

After her modeling career, Karl Lagerfeld hired her to design jewelry for Chanel. Four years later, she went out on her own.

The newest acquisition of The Creative Museum, this comb came from her Karl Lagerfeld period. It was designed for one of his haute couture fashion shows.

Hammered brass swirls surround a turquoise-glass stone. Your eye never loses interest in the swirls’ asymmetrical nature. The comb is a great sculpture in its own right. It is signed, original, and in perfect condition. The intelligence behind these purchases are what differentiates a collection from a museum, and what makes The Creative Museum great.

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For more scholarly research, please examine

Yves St Laurent by Frances Muller

The Yves Saint Laurent-Pierre Berge Collection: The Sale of the Century

Henri Gillet Hair Comb

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Henri Gillet used Art Nouveau designs to make lithographs, which were used as wallpaper from 1900 to the 1920’s. On one of them, he designed a horn comb. If it were ever made, I’d imagine the flurry of leaves to be plique-a-jour enamel. This lithograph is part of the Album de la Décoration, edited by A. Calavas and printed in Paris c. 1900.

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For more scholarly research, please examine

Design Motifs of the Decorative Twenties in Color by Henri Gillet

Henri Gillet. Le Voleur d’instants

Ebay France: August Bonaz Cloud Comb — Faints :-)

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Following the love of clouds and wind in Japanese combs, August Bonaz put a French Art Deco twist to this design, where his clouds have small tines to symbolize rain. Bonaz was trying to tell us that “Every cloud has a silver lining.” It is elegantly curved, signed, and in splendid condition. A seller on Ebay France has listed it for € 450, or $622 as a Buy It Now. What is even better is that the auction mentions The Creative Museum’s Bonaz Collection as part of the comb’s provenance.

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For more scholarly research, please examine

Costume Jewelry (DK Collector’s Guides)

Jen Cruse: Art Nouveau Horn Combs

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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 c. 1895 and 1910, a revival in the use of horn was led by René Lalique, Lucien Gaillard and their contemporaries.

Clarified horn bleached with hydrogen peroxide, sometimes frosted, was their favoured material. These innovative artists created some of the most imaginative and naturalistic designs ever seen, and their influence spread around Europe to other like-minded artists. Hair combs and pins especially gained enormous recognition owing to their supreme quality and are much sought after by collectors today. The Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal, has a most impressive collection of Lalique’s work, including a great number of his combs.

The 2 bleached horn combs featured in the photograph display tinted openwork with daisy flowers and a dragonfly. They are carved in the style of the Parisian Art Nouveau artist/designers. Although unsigned, they have been attributed to Mme E Bonté working in the early 1900s.

Horn Combs of Elizabeth Bonté. Ht 3½in/8.9cm to 4in/10.2cm.

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For more scholarly research, please examine

The Comb: Its History and Development, by Jen Cruse

Ebay: Empire Comb Prices

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After the big September 23rd auction, there have been three French combs, c.1790 – 1850, which went for varying prices. The one that sold for $315 was a steal because the photograph did not show its complexity, nor my instinct that there were pearls dangling from the gilt circles decorated with lapis flowers. Here is the record of what sold, when, and for how much:

Coral Empire comb. Superb Condition. Sold: $1045.51, Oct. 5, 2011. Ebay France.

French Tiara comb with pearls and lapis jewels surrounded by seed pearls, c. 1800, Sold: $616.58, Oct. 5, 2011, Ebay France.

French Empire comb, lapis enamel flowers on gilded silver with dangling pearls, excellent condition, Sold: $315, Oct. 6, 2011, Ebay.com