Tortoiseshell Comb
Subject
Accessories
Title
Tortoiseshell Comb
Date
early twentieth century
Format
L: 4 3/4" x W: 6 3/4" (12.3 cm x 17.4 cm)
Description
This comb has a 2" upper section with a central flower motif. It should have twenty-one teeth, but one is broken. In Spanish, such combs are known as "peineta," and they are worn to support lace mantillas. Tortoiseshell was a popular material for these combs, but this one was probably made of celluloid, a manufactured substance available as early as the 1880s. This comb once belonged to Nina Greenleaf, who lived in Spain during the 1920s and 1930s.
Source
Donor: Mrs. Harry E. Darrah
Identifier
URI 1984.19.17
Contributor
Meilun Hu
Relation
1984.19.16
Collection
Citation
“Tortoiseshell Comb,” Historic Textile and Costume Collection, accessed May 2, 2024, https://uritextilecollection.omeka.net/items/show/295.