A handsome and large steer horn Spanish style hair comb

 

CONDITION: one tine broken otherwise good vintage condition with expected wear

 

SIZE: 6½ ins h x 4½ ins w (16 x 11 cm) decorative part 4 ins (10 cm)

 

APPROXIMATE DATE:  1870s - 1900

 

MATERIALS: steer horn

 

DESCRIPTION:

 

Here is a tall and handsome mantilla style hair comb in pressed steer horn. This type of ornament is often known as Spanish or mantilla comb because it resembles a smaller version of the traditional large shell ornaments worn by Spanish ladies with their native dress. In practice any comb which has a high upstanding heading or top which stands proud of the top of the head is often called a mantilla comb.

The collage photograph shows some examples of similar hair accessories taken from contemporary illustrative sources and reveals the manner and hair styles in which they were worn.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Horn was one of the most popular materials for hair combs in the 19th century. Not only was the material was cheap, but also it could be easily treated to obtain a number of decorative effects. It could be dyed a range of colours. It could also be carved, pierced, stamped and when heated, twisted into ornamental shapes in a plastic manner. Horn is an extremely flexible material, and when heated it can be bent, pierced and stretched into all manner of forms, almost like plastic.

Combs known as “pressed horn” were manufactured by pressing and squeezing the horn between heated iron plates until the material softened. It could then be placed into in mould and would retain the desired shape when it cooled. Many of these pressed horn combs have an elaborate design impressed into the surface which appears to be hand carved but was, in fact, produced by this mechanical process.