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Object Timeline

1916

  • We acquired this object.

2015

2019

2024

  • You found it!

Comb

This is a comb. It is dated 19th century and we acquired it in 1916. Its medium is shaped, carved and pierced tortoiseshell. It is a part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department.


Tortoiseshell as a material tells the story of global interconnectedness and trade. Obtained mainly from Hawksbill turtles from the Caribbean Sea, by the 19th century, when this intricately carved comb was made, the turtles were hunted and the shells exported to artisans and workshops in the Americas, Europe, and as far away as China.

This object was donated by Georgina Schuyler and Louisa L. Schuyler. It is credited Gift of Georgina and Louisa L. Schuyler.

Its dimensions are

H x W x D: 12.5 × 10 × 2.6 cm (4 15/16 in. × 3 15/16 in. × 1 in.)

Cite this object as

Comb; shaped, carved and pierced tortoiseshell; H x W x D: 12.5 × 10 × 2.6 cm (4 15/16 in. × 3 15/16 in. × 1 in.); Gift of Georgina and Louisa L. Schuyler; 1916-29-66

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Plastics.

This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18187993/ |title=Comb |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=23 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>