Comb

Item number E 1904.387 from the MAA: University of Cambridge.

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Data
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Description

An ornate wooden comb carved into a bear with protruding rounded ears inlaid with haliotis shell. The bear has prominent eyebrows, and its eyes, nose and teeth are inlaid with haliotis shell The bear' s mouth has a wonderful expression of concentrated gripping, as protruding is the inlaid tail of a fish, which also doubles as the bear' s tongue. The bear' s paws are firmly planted on either side of the tail or tongue. On the reverse of the comb the bear' s head is concave, and the shape of its arms are accentuated by grooves. The comb has a patina of use.; Good

Context

The original European tribal names and, where possible, current tribal names have both been given in separate GLT fields.; Combs were used by shaman to secure their hair, which was never cut, into a bundle on their heads. When practising the shamans wore their hair down. In general combs were also used by others, Niblack in 1890 noted that the Tlingit liked to dress their hair and used combs, many of which were finely carved (quoted in Emmons The Tlingit Indians 1991, University of Washington Press: Seattle and London, page 242). The combs were often worn as ornaments (G.Crowther).; Exhibited: Centenary Exhibition. New Anthropological displays at CUMAA, square case, object number 18, 1990-.