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Comb
Egyptian
Byzantine (Coptic) Period
4th–7th century A.D.
Medium/Technique
Wood
Dimensions
Length x width: 21 x 8 cm (8 1/4 x 3 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Emily Esther Sears Fund
Accession Number03.1628
ClassificationsTools and equipment – Cosmetic and medical
DescriptionA long, rectangular comb made of a light reddish wood has a row of teeth on either end of a central panel, one of which is fine and one of which is thick. In the central panel is an openwork design that creates the shape of a bird, a common representation found at the centre of Early Byzantine combs, along with quadrupeds. The repeating dots enclosed in circles found on this comb was a frequently employed motif in the Early Byzantine Period. In materials such as wood and ivory, these circles would have been easy to incise and punch and could perform a range of functions. In this comb, the dot enclosed within a circle serves as an eye for the openwork bird, but also as a border decoration for the central panel. In this context it may have served an apotropaic function.
Light reddish wood; fine teeth on one end, coarse on other; carved and pierced panel with representation of a bird. Good Condition.
Light reddish wood; fine teeth on one end, coarse on other; carved and pierced panel with representation of a bird. Good Condition.
ProvenanceSaid to be from Akhmim. 1903: purchased for the MFA in Qena, Egypt from Ghirgas by Albert M. Lythgoe as part of a group ( 03.1628-03.1629) for £1. Acquired with funds from the Emily Esther Sears Fund. (Accession Date: January 1, 1903)