Comb
Date1800-1850
MediumNarwhale ivory
DimensionsObject/Work: 115 x 50 mm
ClassificationsGrooming/cosmetic equipment
Terms
Object numberC02509
DescriptionComb with an angular handle engraved with decorative designs.Combs with intricate designs were used for both utilitarian and aethestic purposes by native Alaskans and Canadians. Usually made from bone, wood, or animal tusk, women used combs for hair dressing and sanitation, like their European counterparts.
They became popular objects of trade when European explorers arrived in these areas. One such explorer, John Franklin, wrote: "It is creditable to the Esquimaux habits of cleanliness, that combs were in great demand and we saw wooden ones of their own manufacture not dissimilar to ours in form."
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