Polynesia, Tonga Island, ca. 19th century CE. A large, lovely comb made from long wooden teeth bound together with woven fiber to form a slowly widening body with a small handle. The woven fibers form a geometric decorative pattern using alternating dark and light colors. Combs were an important part of personal ornamentation for people in the Solomon Islands, worn alongside woven skirts and belts, jewelry, and flowers. This would have been worn placed in the hair with the decorative weaving emerging from the hair to be admired. Size: 2.9" W x 10.2" H (7.4 cm x 25.9 cm); 10.55" H (26.8 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Norman Hurst collection, Cambridge, Massachusettes, USA, before 2000
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#154541
Condition
A few of the teeth have small areas of discoloration. Otherwise overall in excellent condition with light deposits, mainly in lower profile areas.