This sale is for a good heavy quality gold tone metal hair comb with rhinestone trim.
CONDITION: signs of wear and use are to be expected in pre-owned items; overall good vintage condition, no missing stones.
SIZE: 4½ ins w x 4 ins h.
DATE: it is seldom possible to date hair combs precisely since they were often made in the same style for many years. It probably dates from the late 19th or early 20th century.
MATERIALS: gold tone metal, rhinestones.
DESCRIPTION:
This is a heavy and sturdily built gold tone metal hair comb with a half moon shaped heading. This is set in a formalised pattern with clear rhinestones, having one large stone placed in the centre.
The final picture shows contemporary combs from a fashion plate of the Victorian era. As we can see in the picture on the mannequin these combs can also be effectively worn in a contemporary style.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
In the 1870s Queen Victoria became Empress of India and this led to an influx into Europe of ornaments made in India for the Western market. Fine metalwork is traditional in India, but a genre of ornaments was produced for the Western market, which was strictly for export. The form of these ornaments echoes much of the Indian and Indian influenced jewellery, which was produced at this period.
These ornaments were made with oriental style motifs, such as lotus, dragons, and phoenix. We find these imported ornaments in a wide variety of materials and styles, such as metal filigree, granulation, and gilt metal repousee sometimes set with coloured stones. They are an interesting example of an era, and of how personal adornment was influenced by travel to other lands and cultures.