The illegal e-waste trade is thriving in Accra, Ghana. Young men burn old computers to extract and sell the copper. Photographer Quedraogo, a finalist in the Prix Pictet Competition, shows “The Hell of Copper.” A young man balances a crown of copper cables.
By the way the tines are welded on the back, I’d place this silver beauty in France, c. 1850. The first layer of this tiara comb is an intricate rectangular silver design, on top of which is a smaller strip with a larger pattern. Three medalions are welded to the strip in the front so they can hold the arched tiara bridge, punctuated by roses and silver buttons.
I think this is a one-of-a-kind original piece, which shows the thought of the craftsman at a time when many combs remained unsigned. Because there are no pearls or other jewels, it was not made for an aristocrat, but I can imagine it enhanced the beauty of any woman lucky enough to have worn it.
There are so many EZ barrette wholesale auctions on ebay now, I’m going to go blind. And the same combs are advertised at prices no one will pay, time and time again. I don’t even know why I bother to check anymore. However, masochistically I looked and found this:
The ivory tines at the bottom are worn, but the design on top tells a story. This is a classic Chinese-made ivory comb for export to the Victorian market, c. 1890. It has 6 days to go, and it’s already over $100. This will go. I will not be bidding. However, I’m watching and will list the final price and winner next week. If I didn’t have an ivory comb in my collection, I’d go for this one.
The only mark on it is Sterling, but this beautiful hair pin depicts two Gingko leaves with a bug. It’s made with cloisonne enamel. The colors are gorgeous. It seems very Japonisme to me, so I don’t know if the maker was French or Japanese, but it sold for $275 on September 16. Congratulations to the winner.
My first piece today is actually a British arts and crafts piece by Arthur and Georgie Gaskin, c. 1910. The raised silver-foliage design is bookmarked by pearls. Provenance: Arthur & Georgie Gaskin, City Museum & Art Gallery, Birmingham, 1982, page 87.
This is a spectacular art nouveau diadem of a Byzantine princess. It is French; made of gold, opal, and diamonds; c.1900. Unmarked, it is attributed to Fouquet or Vever.
This is an original Lalique drawing of a comb with two Japanese rhinoceros beetles fighting each other (Thank you to member ch for making this correction). The comb was probably to be made out of horn. Maybe the fighting rhinoceros beetles and their feet, performing the engineering function of holding the chains, would be silver, and the jewels in the dangles would be pearls. What a knockout.
My last piece for this morning is a Lalique pendant, whose centerpiece can easily be taken off and worn in the hair. This piece is so gorgeous, it takes my breath away. The ornament depicts poppies made of glass, enamel, and gold.
This is a lovely example of classic style. Hair comb pairs like this were also called opera combs. The crowns of these are openwork plaques set with about 1.50 carats of European-cut and rose-cut diamonds atop tortoise shell combs.
Eighteenth-century India gives us this next tiara in an unusual hinged form. The openwork decoration depicts three lilies surrounded by stems and foliage.
The last tiara is just a knockout. It’s an English turquoise and diamond tiara, c. 1880, and sold for 27,000 GBP. I want this. :-)
This year, Chaumet is putting hair necklaces and tiaras on the front line of his collection for the very first time. He wants diamonds to adorn the head like a “reign of gold,” rings to “alight the hair for a new wearing,” and gold lace to “weave in and out of the hair.” I think what he has done is magnificent.
There is a completeness to this 2500-comb collection, as it spans the whole world and time. Most individual collections specialize. This museum brings together the love of many in a dazzling display of hair comb art. The pictures are a community unto themselves.
The museum founders state, “There is nowhere you can see this collection, since it is private. As the owners want to share its resources with everyone, CREATIVE MUSEUM will do its best to offer all the services you could find in a museum: a temporary exhibition with a special theme, a view of the permanent collection, background information and more: expertise.”
Here are a few comparisons and pictures. From the museum:
I believe this is my picture of the same comb in 2004.
Here is a Manchurian hairpin from the collection.
This is my Manchu piece.
And here are just three pictures, which reveal the eye of the collective mastery that brings this project to life. The still-life photography is superb.
An African bird.
A Bonaz Mantilla comb.
A Chinese diadem.
The French put many dressings on these large brass tiara combs. I have one with opals. Sometimes the tines are bent so the top can be worn as a tiara. Other times, the comb is in its original formation.
This one, c. 1830, has French import marks and two rows of citrines in graduating sizes. The stones are clean, translucent, and well matched in color. The first row of stones is supported by a bridge of brass leaves separated by balls, which attaches to the comb with a floral applique. Its estimated worth is between 3000 and 4000 GBP.
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.