Alexander Evgenievich Yakovlev

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Three months after Tsar Nicholas II fell in the February Revolution of 1917, Alexander Yakovlev left Petrograd for Peking. The Academy of Arts funded his two-year stay in China, Mongolia, and Japan. He returned with “Opera of Peking,” one of his greatest works.

Having already painted Michael Fokine and Anna Pavlova, he wrote, “In Peking, I was drawn to Chinese theatre, the sole remaining vestige of its ancient culture. … One feels that the actor is guided by a geometrical formula. The principal lines of the square are very distinct. The horizontals and verticals are opposed to the diagonals.”

Two of his vertical objects included the women’s headpieces.

Signed in Latin and dated 1918, “Opera in Peking” portrays regal, beautiful singers standing still, poised in sublime calmness. It sold for $1.3 million and change at Sotheby’s on June 7th.

Here is a photograph of the Peking Opera in 1932, which gives us the privilege of seeing what Yakovlev remembered when he put brush to canvas.

An Ebay Auction to Watch

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I guess we’re going through an Empire comb phase. ;-) An Empire tiara top, hinged to either a shell or celluloid comb, is being auctioned on E-bay for 185 GBP at the moment. Does anyone think it looks like a married piece? The tiara is gorgeous. I see the 4 bidders on the board. They have feedback scores of 9, 15, 0, and 35. Someone is using a new account, or they are beginners. I will be interested to see if a new or experienced collector wins this.

UPDATE: Someone with a 342-feedback score outbid a newcomer with 9, and the married piece sold for $1500. The newcomer bid 14 times. The seller was absolutely honest. Unless the buyer already has the correct metal bottom, the seller won E-bay’s psychology game huge on this auction. I have to give the seller a “fair play.”

Magnificent Empire Combs

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The Rococo style of jewelry making slipped into obscurity in 1785. Napoleon Bonaparte and his Empress Josephine brought the Empire style to prominence during his rule as Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815. Combs had curves, elaborate floral designs and scrollwork to show off jewels or enamel paintings.

From 1820 to 1870, there was a revival of the Empire style, especially in Victorian England. Because of the Repoussé gold work, where artists hammered gold patterns by hand, I would date this comb c. 1840. The enameled butterflies are magnificent, and the comb resides in a museum.

Here are two magnificent Empire combs from the Creative Museum. The first one has real amethysts:

The second one has gold-inlaid lapis-lazuli stones alternating between instances of Napoleon’s laurel-wreath crown. Wow.

Jessica Beauchemin: A Question that Resides in My Step

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par Jessica Beauchemin:

Une réflexion, un questionnement qui habite présentement ma démarche…
l’esthétique et l’utilité dans les ornements de coiffure contemporains.

L’esthétique est établie par plusieurs éléments : les formes, les couleurs,
les techniques, les matériaux employés, etc. Dans l’univers des ornements de
coiffure, ces éléments sont très variés. Prenons simplement l’exemple de la
forme, on peut parler soit de peignes, d’aiguilles, de couronnes, de
diadèmes, de barrettes, et ainsi de suite. Les époques, les cultures et les
modes ont modelé ces différents éléments. Ainsi, de nos jours, il me semble
exister une grande ouverture au niveau de l’esthétique de l’ornement de
coiffure.

La question de l’utilité m’apparaît plus délicate. D’un point de vue
littéral, l’ornement de coiffure se veut un accessoire-bijou décorant et/ou
supportant la coiffure. Certaines époques et cultures ont associé aux
ornements de coiffure des fonctions symboliques et sociales plus larges –
spiritualité, fertilité, rapport à l’autre, etc. Qu’en est-il maintenant?

L’ornement de coiffure contemporain est-il prisonnier de sa première
utilité, victime de son identité d’accessoire de tête?

Ne pourrait-il pas être, également, un média d’expression artistique
reconnu?

C’est-à-dire une « esthétique » inspirant la création d’ornements-sculptures
non utilitaires; telle, par exemple, la courtepointe. Traditionnellement
connu comme un objet utile au quotidien, la courtepointe a su évolué pour
devenir également un mode d’expression artistique accepté : la courtepointe
d’art. Peut-il en être de même pour l’ornement de coiffure?

Existe-t-il une ouverture, un intérêt, un marché pour l’ornement de coiffure
d’art contemporain?

Blonde Tortoiseshell Griffin

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The griffin, or eagle-lion, is generally portrayed with wings, a beak, eagle claws and feathered, and pointy ears. Some traditions say that only female griffins have wings. Griffins found themselves on the cross of St. George, Greek mythology, Persian poetry, Milton’s Paradise Lost and Dante’s Divine Comedy.

I saw this comb on Ruby Lane. The dealer mentioned that she didn’t know if it was celluloid or shell. Three seconds after I looked at it, an unconscious force led my fingers to the shopping cart. Suddenly, when I regained consciousness, it had been delivered. I’d say this is a griffin on a hair pin hand carved out of one piece of blonde tortoiseshell, England, c. 1880.

Mother of Pearl Hair Combs

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The Creative Museum has two stunning mother-of-pearl combs. The first is a masterpiece of mother-of-pearl (mop) cutting and engraving. It depicts a roe deer, which symbolizes wealth and longevity. In Celtic culture, its antlers symbolize heavenly light.

They also have a drop-dead mop comb with a floral motif.

So I have been served. ;-) Here is my mop hair pin with a bird in a cherry tree. All these combs are English, c. 1850.

Rene Lalique at the Musée Calouste Gulbenkian

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Calouste Gulbenkian was the oil entrepreneur who opened up commerce from the Middle East to the West. He also had a 50-year friendship with Rene Lalique and obtained pieces directly from the artist. His art collection numbered over 6000 pieces, to which a museum in his name was built in Lisbon.

This comb depicts leaves in horn, from which emerge pink enameled flowers with black stamens.

Dominick & Haff Silver Combs

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When thinking of Sterling Silver combs and hair pins, our thoughts usually travel to Birmingham, England. However, New York City had a notable tradition for making beautiful silver pieces, as well.

Dominick & Haff started out as William Gale & Son in 1862. Gale’s son took over the company in 1866. The company then became known as Dominick & Corning in 1867, Gale & Corning in 1869, Gale Dominick & Haff in 1870, and finally Dominick & Haff in 1872. All these name changes suggest drama. Reed & Barton finally purchased the company in 1928.

Dominick & Haff was known for silverware, tea sets, bowls, and platters. However on the side, they made hair combs: intricately carved masterpieces with complicated shapes cut out of solid silver, or openwork.

Here are some examples from our community.

This one comes from the Creative Museum. It is a silver D&H cap on a tortoiseshell comb. I have never seen this combination before. Most of them are all silver.

Here is one with has both beautiful carving and openwork.

Here are two pictures of mine.

Ebay: An Auction to Watch

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695 Euros and 5 days to go. 12 bidders. This is an Empire comb with 9 glass pearl beads atop a silver gilt tiara with flowers. The flowers have blue enamel centers and real-pearl petals. It has a rooster hallmark, and was made in Paris, c. 1798 – 1809. Provenance: “Yves Markezana – Taps French gold, silver, platinum from 1275 to the Present (ISBN 2-85101-103-0), page 89.”