Comb Item Number: 2878/45 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Carved turtle shell comb in the shape of a fish with a tail at one end and an eye and mouth at the other end. The comb teeth make up the bottom half of the body of the fish, and the tail serves as the handle. The colour is a mixture of brown and light brown with the teeth and the tips of the tail being light brown and the rest of the comb being gradients of brown.
Narrative
Traditional combs (Sabara Tribal) carved from the shell of Olive Ridley turtles. The turtles swim up from waters south of Sri Lanka to Orissan beaches around Chilka Lake to mate and lay their eggs. For centuries locals have used their shells to make household items but since the 1990s they've become a by-product of an illegal offshore net-fishery and are now on the critically endangered list.
Item History
- Made in Odisha, India
- Collected in Gopalpur, Odisha, India during 1980
- Owned by Tamarin Productions Inc. before May 4, 2011
- Received from Tamarin Productions Inc. (Seller) and Ruth Read Bequest (Funding source) on May 4, 2011
What
- Name
- Comb
- Identification Number
- 2878/45
- Type of Item
- comb
- Material
- turtle shell
- Overall
- height 0.4 cm, width 20.8 cm, depth 3.8 cm
Who
- Culture
- Indian
- Previous Owner
- Tamarin Productions Inc.
- Received from
- Tamarin Productions Inc. (Seller) and Ruth Read Bequest (Funding source)
Where
When
- Collection Date
- during 1980
- Ownership Date
- before May 4, 2011
- Acquisition Date
- on May 4, 2011
Other
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 2878/0045