{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O312155"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O312155/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011FC2488/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011FC2488/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2011FC2488","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011FC2490","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O312155/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O312155","accessionNumber":"2145-1855","objectType":"Comb","titles":[{"title":"Comb","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"This comb is made by an unknown artist. It is decorated on each side with a female head on one side, and a male head wearing a helmet and armour on the other, each flanked by two seated nude figures back to back, with pierced scrollwork and foliate decoration at the corners. The ends of the comb are adorned with bearded masks. The style and subject suggest the comb is French and dates from the mid-sixteenth century. Ivory combs, together with mirror cases and <i>gravoirs</i> for parting the hair, formed an essential part of the <i>trousse de toilette</i> or <i>étui</i> (dressing case) of the typical wealthy lady or gentleman in the period. The two leading cities for ivory carving were Paris and Dieppe. Luxury items, such as combs were often made in Paris, especially during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. During the seventeenth century Dieppe became increasingly significant for small-scale sculpture in ivory, perhaps because it was a port.","physicalDescription":"The comb is decorated on each side with a female head on one side, and a male head wearing a helmet and armour on the other, each flanked by two seated nude figures back to back, with pierced scrollwork and foliate decoration at the corners. The ends of the comb are adorned with bearded masks. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved ivory","categories":[{"text":"Accessories","id":"THES48998"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2011FC2488","2011FC2490"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"017","id":"THES395636"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Comb","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"France","id":"x28849"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1550","earliest":"1545-01-01","latest":"1554-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"13.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"9.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Bought from the Bernal Collection, £7 7s, at Christie's, London, March 1855, lot 1620. \r\nThe style and subject suggest the comb is French and dates from the mid-sixteenth century. It was omitted from Longhurst’s 1929 catalogue, because it was assigned to Regional Services (Circulation Department) in the Museum, before being transferred to Architecture and Sculpture in 1978. See also cat. no. ** 2144-1855.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Comb, carved ivory, French, by an unknown artist, ca. 1550","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1855. <u>In</u>: <u>Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I</u>. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 66"},{"reference":{"text":"Maskell, W., <u>A Description of the Ivories Ancient and Medieval in the South Kensington Museum</u>, London, 1872","id":"AUTH330219"},"details":"p.5","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"French; originally inventorised as German.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"scrolls","id":"x34796"},{"text":"busts","id":"AAT47457"},{"text":"helmet","id":"AAT36794"},{"text":"armour","id":"AAT36745"},{"text":"nude figures","id":"x46753"},{"text":"scrollwork","id":"AAT10205"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["2145-1855"],"accessionNumberNum":"2145","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1855,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-29","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}