Tortoiseshell Comb

Accessories

Tortoiseshell Comb

early twentieth century

L: 4 3/4" x W: 7 7/8" (12.2 cm; 20.2 cm)

This dark tortoiseshell comb once belonged to the Connecticut-born artist Nina Greenleaf, who lived much of her life abroad in England, France, and Spain. This comb is from Spain, and it probably dates from the 1920s or 1930s. The Spanish word for comb is peineta. Peinetas were popular in Spain and its territories. A peineta has a convex body and teeth that attach to a woman's bun; a lace veil known as a mantilla is then placed on top of the peineta. Peinetas were once made from tortoiseshell and considered a luxury material because of its marbled appearance, translucency and durability. The shell was boiled in saltwater to soften the material, then pressed into a mold and shaped into the desired product. Synthetic tortoiseshell (celluloid) started to replace the real thing in 1880.

Donor: Mrs. Harry E. Darrah

URI 1984.19.16

Elizabeth Paul

URI 1984.19.17