Sotheby’s sold this set of 4 coral, gold, and tortoiseshell Sicilian combs for 3120 EUR on June 20. They are c. 1890 and came in their original box.
Sicilian Coral Comb
2 Replies
Alexandre de Paris: Rare Piece
The one I bought :-)
The one I didn’t buy. :-(
Creative Museum: Art Nouveau Dragonfly
From the Creative Museum
This elegant painted horn comb touches those who have Lalique hearts. Even though the design is layered, the transparency allows light to shine through the comb, perfectly expressing a dragonfly in real life.
Edo Comb Set on Ebay
There is a lovely silver framed Edo set selling on Ebay for $1250. Using studs to attach the floral decoration to the kushi’s silver frame, the artist punctuates it with coral beads. The dealer dates the set as 1900 – 1920.
Here is why I am doubting his dates.
1. The size of the silver frame in relation to the comb looks Edo to me.
2. The comb itself is tortoiseshell, while the frame is silver.
3. The tortoiseshell comb has bug bites, a sign of age.
4. The floral design is attached to the comb instead of being cut out of one piece.
5. The cutting in the middle of the kogai stick is a line in the middle of two hearts, facing inward.
6. The kogai stick has the same decorative theme as the kushi. In modern pieces that mimic the Edo era, the kushi is usually accompanied by an oversized kanzashi, not a kogai stick.
7. Here is another silver Edo set that sold on ebay. In fact, I think it was my first blog post!
The full set selling on Ebay:
The kushi front and back, where you can see the floral design is attached.
A similar set from Miriam Slater’s collection. Notice the cutting of the line in between two hearts on the kogai.
A piece from my collection: this is Taisho. The silver design, comb and theme of flowers in water, are all carved out of one piece of silver, and adorned with gilded brass and black for color. My set is accompanied by a kanzashi, not a kogai.
What does everyone think? Am I seeing this comb set correctly? Agreements / Disagreements welcome.
Jessica Beauchemin and Miriam Slater
I would like to welcome two new authors to our community blog.
An award-winning Canadian modern artist, Jessica Beauchemin creates balanced abstract wood sculptures, which I feel mirror the design sense of Alexander Calder.
Our second new author is Miriam Slater. We have had passionate conversations about Japanese hair ornaments for years, and she has put her collection online. When I saw what she had, I fainted. She will write about her own collection, as is proper, but as I have absolutely no emotional control, I must share three pieces. They are all Edo masterpieces, and I am sure Miriam will have more to say about her work in future posts.
Ivory Edo half-moon comb of plover birds sitting on a cherry tree branch, with blossoms.
Tortoiseshell Edo comb of three carp swimming in the water. The carving on the fish is so detailed, they almost have human expressions.
Do you see how the turtle is looking from underneath the water at the birds flying above? The artist achieves this metaphor by hooking the birds to the kushi with silver finials and coral beads. Brilliant.
Japanese dressing haircombs
Par Creative Museum
La complexité et le raffinement de la culture japonaise se traduit, au niveau de la coiffure, par d’innombrables outils de coiffeur. Nous disons “outil” car le mot “peigne” serait trop restrictif. En effet, pour dresser, draper, nouer les longs cheveux des Japonaises, il faut être coiffeur, mais aussi sculpteur, couturier, parfumeur et décorateur !
Il n’existe pas moins de 200 pièces de bois destinées à cet usage, toutes de formes différentes ; chacune porte un nom particulier et concerne les nombreuses variations des coiffures de geishas, de théâtre kabuki ou même de lutteurs sumo.
Les artisans qui autrefois réalisaient ces peignes, râteaux, fourchettes, égaliseurs, lisseurs, etc, ont maintenant disparu. Les meilleurs d’entre eux ne pouvaient produire plus de trois pièces par jour et le buis qu’ils utilisaient devait sécher au moins deux ans avant d’être travaillé. Cette belle tradition n’a pas survécu à notre monde moderne. Les outils de coiffeur qui subsistent sont donc à conserver précieusement. On est subjugué par la modernité de leurs lignes que ne désavoueraient pas les plus grands créateurs d’aujourd’hui.
On dit qu’un objet est parfait quand on ne peut plus rien lui enlever, ni rien lui rajouter. C’est vraiment le cas ici.
A group of different shape boxwood combs
Two dressing combs with its similar doll combs
Hairdresser doing a traditional Japanese hairstyle
Diamond Thoughts, Old and New
This is a modern replica of a Victorian tiara, made of 5 graduated diamond flowerheads, some have a 2- to 3-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond in the center and 2 or more carats of D flawless white diamonds, which make up the petals. There are also marquise-shaped yellow diamonds on the bandeau. It is part of a parure. This 5-piece set and can either be hooked onto the necklace to make a second tier or worn as the tiara, shown. With earrings, the price estimate is $500,000. It is being auctioned in Dubai on April 20.
But sometimes, artists can have different thoughts about diamonds. Here are graduated diamond studs hooked around rubber to make a bandeau. I have never seen this combination of materials before, and I love it.
Islamic Art
This gilded, enameled turban ornament is from 19th Century Persia. On the front, the central panel depicts foliage and is surrounded by diamonds. The plumed crown has rubies, emeralds, and is bordered in blue enamel, fringed with pearls. The reverse side is enameled in green, blue, pink, and gold, and also fringed with pearls and a flower. Sotheby’s is estimating the price at 40,000 to 60,000 GBP.
This rare ruby and diamond tiara comes from the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, c. 1800. Its openwork frame supports a large diamond floral rosette in the center surrounded by diamond petals and floral sprays. On top, the crown boasts a star and crescent. Estimated price: 30,000 to 40,000 GBP.
Alexandre de Paris: Butterfly Convention
This butterfly tiara is made from acrylic plastic, where one color slumbers into another. A black butterfly outline is put on top to define each shape and mimic plique a jour enamel. I’m afraid to call the New York store and ask what this costs. When the company creates a piece like this, they may make three of them.
Jessica Beauchemin
By the Creative Museum:
She sculpts different woods into hair-comb heaven. Describing her philosophy, Ms. Beauchemin says, “I strive to explore fine woodworking, to develop a personal approach that will enhance the riches and nuances of the matter. I shape solid woods and veneers in symbiosis with other natural materials such as mother-of-pearls, stones, metals and fibres. Hair ornaments are the medium through which I explore. Mythical, symbolical and sensual objects, hair combs and pins offer a vast array of conceptual, aesthetic and technical possibilities. Through my approach, I wish to explore notions such as balance, combination of materials and visual poetry.”
