Description:

West Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chokwe, ca. early 20th century CE . A carved wood comb with handle in form of small head, hair bifurcated into two large roundels with a crosshatched pattern, the attractive female visage with incised eyes, straight nose, and scarification marks on cheeks and neck, stylized geometric motifs on handle. According to the Royal Museum for Central Africa, "For the Chokwe, combs (cisakulo) have a dual purpose. This utensil, with strong teeth, is used in the first place to untangle the hair of both men and women. However, combs can also be used to style and decorate the hair. It should be noted that, according to Marie-Louise Bastin, only the men use combs to style their headdress." A lovely example with a custom, museum-quality stand. Size: comb itself measures 3.5" W x 7.25" H (8.9 cm x 18.4 cm); 8.75" H (22.2 cm) on stand

Provenance: Ex-private California collection. Purchased 1960s to 1980s.

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#115316

  • Condition: Dark brown patina on handle from use. Intact and excellent.

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July 14, 2016 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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