Swahili Hair Comb

The afro comb has long been the product that is used to create eye-catching and culturally relevant hairstyles for men and women of African descent.

Bidjogo Dance Pectoral

Tribe: Swahili 

Origin: Tanzania, Zanzibar, Mozambique

Approx Age: 20th Century

Materials: Wood

Dimensions cm: 26 tall x 8 wide

Ref. Number: 1862

£225.00

Description:

An exquisite 20th-century Swahili hair comb from Tanzania, a double-ended comb with 34 fine prongs and 8 larger ones, with a very small end missing on one, as can be seen, and circular motifs stamped to front and rear.  This really is a beautiful piece and has a bespoke stand to display.

Provenance: Ex-Private UK collection

History

The double combs are usually hourglass in shape, with coarse and fine teeth to their top and bottom. Between, it is decorated with borders of concentric rings and horizontal banding.

The comb comes from the Swahili Coastal region and most particularly, the Zanzibar Archipelago. The region has Omani, Portuguese and indigenous cultural influences and perhaps aspects of this comb reflect all these influences. The use of the repeated concentric circle motif also is found on other Zanzibar combs and related items see a similar comb in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK.

Though rare to appear on the open market, a similar example can be seen in the San Diego Museum of Art, having been bequeathed by Susan and Richard Ulevitch in 2008.

The afro comb has long been the product that is used to create eye-catching and culturally relevant hairstyles for men and women of African descent. For centuries, the afro comb served as a status symbol in many African societies. The comb has also come to denote affiliation with certain groups or tribes and can signify one’s religious beliefs or rituals. In ancient society, the handles of the combs are adorned with objects that artistically showcase a person’s status.

References

A.Ashton. 6,000 Years of African Combs, The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, 2013.

Robert Hales. Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour: A Lifetime’s Passion, Robert Hale CI Ltd, 2013.

F.Herreman In the Presence of Spirits: African Art from the National Museum of Ethnology, Lisbon, Museum for African Art, New York/Snoek-Ducaju & Zoon, Gent, 2000.

Swahili women

Contact Exquisite African Art

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