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Comb

1530–1560s
Not on view
This richly carved comb was probably owned by a noble woman and may have been a wedding gift. The register of broader teeth was used for detangling the hair, while the finer teeth served both to straighten the hair, make them silkier and softer, but also to get rid of lice. The couple on each side of a fountain may evoke the fountain of love, inspired by medieval courteous literature, and possibly by the Roman de la Rose. The swan atop the fountain may also be related to love, while the dogs on either side probably symbolize fidelity.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Comb
  • Date: 1530–1560s
  • Culture: French, probably Paris
  • Medium: Boxwood
  • Dimensions: confirmed: 3 7/8 × 5 × 5/16 in. (9.8 × 12.7 × 0.8 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Miniature
  • Credit Line: Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964
  • Object Number: 64.101.1593
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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Nicolas Castille
ca. 1510

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