In the Edo Era, they adorned wigs and were made with tortoiseshell. In the modern era, they are made with metal and paste jewels. But both have their beauty, and this is how they are worn in a wig.
Japanese Wedding Comb Sets
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Category Archives: Japanese Hair Comb
Japonisme: Lalique and Meiji Birds
After the opening up of trade routes to Japan, Edo and Meiji combs were introduced at the Paris exhibition of 1867. They took the European art world by storm and began a craze in France called Japonisme . It is interesting to compare Lalique’s masterpiece Two Swallows with a Stalk of Oats c. 1906-1908, carved horn gold and diamonds, with a Meiji kanzashi of plover birds.
In Swallows, Lalique incorporates the art nouveau philosophy of Symbolism: one thing transforms into another. He elongates the swallows’ wings to engineer the tines of the comb. It’s a double entendre.
The Meiji ornament, which went on a kanzashi stick, shows the relationship of a mated couple of plover birds in a tree. The shell used had different colors, which adds shadow, but the perspective and theme are realistic, emotional, and stunningly carved. The French skewed nature to match the intellectual ideas all art forms were using in that time. 
Some Lovely Things on Ebay
French Empire diadem on the traditional brass comb. There are some teeth missing, but 3 galleries of cut brass decorations surrounding two rows of coral beads make this a magnificent piece. It sold for $529.50 on March 3. Myrnatoo bought it. It is attached to two sets of metal combs bent inwards, so it can be truly worn as a tiara. Gorgeous.
This Japanese early Meiji ivory set with gold makie birds flying in the trees has its matching kogai stick. It’s everything a collector wants: signed, perfect condition, rare material, exceptional artistry, age. The dealer wants $1600 for it. My offer of $1000 was turned down. It’s too expensive in my view, but this would be a first-class addition to any collection.
This beautiful Spanish mantilla-style comb is made of blonde tortoiseshell, and came from the Norma Hague collection. It sold for only $99. Great bargain! Beautiful, original decorative design.
And last is this c. 1910 art nouveau horn comb with two 14K gold birds meeting on top, for which the dealer wants $800, but has not accepted the one offer that was made.
Some Lovely Things on Ebay
There have been some really interesting, unusual combs that sold recently. Here is a small sample.
This reproduction of an ancient Indian comb worn by a queen might belong culturally to the Sikh sect of Hinduism, which had a Kanga, a small-toothed comb worn in the hair. This plot depicts Lord Krishna and his beloved Rahda, erotically posed, as girls dance around him. The dance, or sport, is called Raas Leela, where the birth of the Shri Krishna is celebrated by gopis, or devotees who forget all worldly thoughts in place of love for him. It sold for only $32.
The next two things that caught my eye were two silver kanzashis because their designs were so beautifully balanced with flowers, birds, and ideas. These sold for $132.50 and $86 in September.
Third today, is a beautiful Edo kogai stick, with gold maki-e decorations on the ends. But there is a three-dimensional perspective in the way the houses are set amongst the trees, lakes, and flowers in a rural Japanese villiage. It sold for only $31 on Sept. 28.
Now, we’ll go to France, for two celluloid combs decorated with two tones of aluminium, a very valuable material at its time of discovery. They sold for $162. 50 on Oct. 2.
Last is a dark tortoiseshell Victorian pique comb with a raised piece that contains a greek key pattern bookmarked by two stars. I wonder if the pique is machine or hand done. The condition was perfect, but the seller wanted $530 for it, and it did not sell.
Some Lovely Things on Ebay and Beyond
Portrait of a Lady: This painting of the Parmese School, c. 1775, possibly shows Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria, Queen of Naples and Sicily (1752-1814) with pearls and ribbons in her hair. It’s oil on cavas, going on sale in London on Sept. 28, est: $3500.
This is one of a pair of art nouveau tortoiseshell hair combs with plique-à-jour enamel flowers and foliate scrolling detail by Braquemond. There is scalloped 18K gold trim, and it is mounted in enamel. These combs formed part of a toilet set for Baron Joseph Vitta, who lived in Paris, and was an important art nouveau patron. c.1900. est: $50,000 – $70,000
This acrylic-on-paper painting of a nude with blue hair is by Wallase Ting, c. 1929, and is estimated at $9000. I love it.
This early 19th-Century silver gilt, diamond and sapphire tiara sold on ebay for $3000 on Sept 19. Congratulations to the winning bidder. It is set with 7-10 carats of natural cabochon sapphires, 3-5 carats of table cut diamonds, and nine large sapphires with a total weight of 15-20 carats.
These are two combs from Africa that just caught my eye. I love the expressions of the sculpture on top of the combs.
This pair of Edwardian tortoiseshell haircombs with diamonds on top have a curved design, as well as curved tines. They sold on ebay for $1800 on Sept 18 to a live auction floor bidder.
This gorgeous coral diadem with leaves and flowers sold for $500 (great price) on Sept 16 at a live auction to u***g of ebay. Yay! And ebayer got it. Est: $600 – $800. Fabulous treasure.
Now, it’s time to die. This pink diamond tiara, and those pinks come from the Australian mines at Argyle. No one knows what makes a diamond pink. Anyway, I’m dying. It’s listed for $192,732 (I think it will go for more) in Hong Kong for an Oct 7 sale. There is a fancy intense pink diamond in the middle, probably from the Argyle tender. It was made by Garrard, and is set on a platinum band.
And here is a close up.
The pinks of Argyle (don’t let the size fool you), as well as the large D flawless white diamonds are nature at it’s most beautiful. It’s like a drug for diamond collectors and admirers. You just have to have it. I wonder who will buy this. I see it as Elizabeth Taylor-worthy.
Japonisme and Myrna’s Turtle
It is a word used to describe the direct transfer of the genius of Japanese Edo artists, including comb makers, on French art nouveau artists of the 1900s. The French discovered Japanese art in 1856, and especially at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1878. Many Japanese works of art were presented, and the craze of Japonisme began. To learn more, I recommend lotusgreen’s Japonisme blog.
I have seen many French combs influenced by Japanese artists, most notably Lalique’s horn Japanese landscape comb that sold for $237,000, but this is the first time I have seen a Japanese comb influenced by the French philosophy of Symbolism, one thing transforming into another, as a turtle comes out of the sea. This is Japonisme starting from the other direction.
The comb was bought for $350 at a live auction by Myrna, whose eye is untouchable, and it is made by a Japanese artist in blond tortoiseshell, with an image on the tines of algae clinging to the turtle’s shell underneath the water. 
The other comb Myrna bought was an Edo ivory kushi decorated with paulownia flowers, which are native to China, northern Laos, and Vietnam, but cultivated in Japan. This comb sold for the ridiculously low price of $120 on August 19 at the same live auction.
And this is what the real flower looks like:
Myrna just emailed me some closeups because her treasures arrived.
Both of them are just out of this world.
Some Lovely Things on Ebay
This beautiful ivory comb belonged to the seller’s great grandmother, and it was kept in perfect condition all these years. Imagine the love that kept this beautiful piece in its pristine state. The style looks like a Chinese import to the Victorian market to me but I’m not sure. Maybe it’s European made. Comments welcome. I loved it. It sold for $213.50 to Belva, one of the greatest hair comb collectors and historians in the country. Congrats, my dear friend.
This ivory comb knocked me out. I’d say c. 1880. The rose carvings are exquisite. I adored this one, too. I have to say I am not sure if it’s English made or Chinese made for the Victorian market. But fabulous, nonetheless. It sold for $280 on August 9.
The last comb that caught my eye was an Silver Edo comb with a remarkable decoration of birds on the sides and a turtle in the middle against a backdrop of flowing waves. The silver decorative shell fit over a tortoiseshell comb, which was not in perfect condition, as the tines were a little damaged. But this was a drop-dead piece for Japanese comb collectors. It sold for $301 on August 10 to Belva. Congratulations again for your taste and everything you’ve done to bring the beauty of hair combs to the world via the ACCCI.
Correction: Japanese Hibiscus, not Hemp
I originally identified this Edo comb as being decorated with hemp, which has been used as a medicinal herb in Japanese culture for centuries. However, as a gardener, my friend gave me a Japanese hibiscus, which just flowered, and I am now realizing that the leaves and flowers on this Edo comb were drawn from that! Correction made.
And here is the real thing in my garden in South GA. Ah, gardening in South GA. What an experience.
To console myself… ;-)
There was a collection of 22 pieces on Trocadero, all from one woman in Kyoto Japan, and I saw some I liked, so I grabbed this one before one person (unknown to me) bought the entire collection. It’s an Edo shell piece, beautifully decorated, almost perfect condition. $300. I liked it. But there was also a wooden comb with the emblem of the Tokugawa Shogunate, ruling family of the Edo era, which I did not get. Here are both.
The one I bought:
The one I missed.
These I liked too, but they all sold before I could get them.
And for a lark, I took pictures of my entire collection. I don’t know how much it would sell for, but I hope when I die it would go for something respectable. It seems I go for English, French, Japanese, and Chinese pieces, but I love American pieces, too.
Well, that’s all for tonight! Work has been especially busy, so sorry I didn’t write until now. There are some nice garnet tiara comb auctions ending, and it will be interesting to compare the prices. Some other nice things are ending as well, so my next post will be about the lovely things on ebay. :-)
Japanese Ducks
This Meiji tortoiseshell comb has one pair of mandarin ducks swimming in the water with chrysanthemum decorations on the left side. The artist , Shorin, was able to do a three-dimensional carving of the ducks in the water. The other side has a lotus design. Gold makie is used in the carving. And most importantly, the comb is in perfect condition, no bug bites. It is signed. With the matching kogai stick, it would really be a prize, but as it is now, it’s stunningly gorgeous for all the Japanese comb collectors out there. It’s selling for $1100 on Trocadero.
