{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O377391"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O377391/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BC0819/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BC0819/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BC0819","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O377391/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O377391","accessionNumber":"CIRC.18-1961","objectType":"Comb","titles":[{"title":"Comb","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"This decorative comb is made of casein formaldehyde, a form of early plastic invented in the late 1880s. \n\nCasein formaldehyde (also known as Erinoid, Lactoid, Aladdinite, Galalith, Galanix) was invented in the late 1890s by German chemist Adolph Spitteler. It is the second oldest semi-synthetic plastic material, invented 40 years after British inventor Alexandar Parke’s cellulose nitrate (also known as Parkesine), the first semi-synthetic plastic was patented. Casein plastic was developed much earlier in Europe than in America and had much more success in Europe, due to climatic differences in the US which caused difficulties in manufacturing. Therefore, while the place and year of production of CIRC.18-19961 is not known, it is very likely that the object was manufactured in the UK or Europe, rather than in the US.\n\nCasein, or ‘milk’ plastic, was made from a protein substance derived from sour milk combined with formaldehyde. The material was once one of the leading plastics materials due to its wide industrial application. It was used primarily in the manufacture of smaller items, such as buttons, knuckles, knitting needles, jewllery, and hair combs. Casein plastic is noted for its colour and wide range of decorative effects; from white, delicate pastel shades, vivid hues and black, to metallic and pearl effects.","physicalDescription":"Decorative comb of translucent amber-coloured plastic. A curved foliate panel topped with a cresting of alternating discs and lozenge shapes rises above the vertical, meandering lines of thirteen teeth.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"plastic","id":"AAT14570"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Casein formaldehyde (an early plastic, also known as Galalith, Erinoid, Aladdinite, Casolith, Lactoloid).","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Accessories","id":"THES48998"},{"text":"Interiors","id":"THES48933"},{"text":"Household objects","id":"THES48939"},{"text":"Shekou","id":"THES279777"},{"text":"Values of Design","id":"THES279818"},{"text":"Design Society","id":"THES279819"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2006BC0819"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"CA018","id":"THES413400"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Comb","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Uk","id":"x29336"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Europe","id":"x28842"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"early to mid-20th century","earliest":"1900-01-01","latest":"1999-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs J. Hull Grundy\r\n","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"279","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"\r\n"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"305","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"45","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"02/01/2017","earliest":"2017-01-02","latest":"2017-01-02"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This decorative comb is made of casein formaldehyde, a form of early plastic invented in the late 1880s. The object was previously catalogued as made of Parkesine, the first man-made plastic. V&A Conservation conducted scientific analysis of the object in 2023 and identified that it is in fact made of casein formaldehyde. \n\nCasein formaldehyde (also known as Erinoid, Lactoid, Aladdinite, Galalith, Galanix) was invented in the late 1890s by German chemist Adolph Spitteler. It is the second oldest semi-synthetic plastic material, invented 40 years after British inventor Alexandar Parke’s cellulose nitrate (also known as Parkesine), the first semi-synthetic plastic was patented. Casein plastic was developed much earlier in Europe than in America and had much more success in Europe, due to climatic differences in the US which caused difficulties in manufacturing. Therefore, while the place and year of production of CIRC.18-19961 is not known, it is very likely that the object was manufactured in the UK or Europe, rather than in the US.\n\nCasein, or ‘milk’ plastic, was made from a protein substance derived from sour milk combined with formaldehyde. The material was once one of the leading plastics materials due to its wide industrial application. It was used primarily in the manufacture of smaller items, such as buttons, knuckles, knitting needles, jewllery, and hair combs. Casein plastic is noted for its colour and wide range of decorative effects; from white, delicate pastel shades, vivid hues and black, to metallic and pearl effects.\n\r\nAncient Egyptians of the eighteenth dynasty used milk as a medium for fixing pigments. Many people noticed that cheese becomes very hard when dry, and it was said that sailors in Nelson’s Navy carved their stale cheese rations into buttons for their uniforms – these may be regarded as the first casein buttons\r\n\nAlexander Parkes (1813-90) is described in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography as 'the inventor of the first man-made plastic'.  Parkesine was made from cellulose nitrate, which was plasticized with camphor.  Parkes exhibited small articles made of parkesine at the London Exhibition of 1862 and the Paris Exhibition of 1867, but the Parkesine Company was liquidated in 1868.  The successors of Parkesine were Xylonite and Celluloid.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Comb of casein formaldehyde (an early plastic), probably made in the UK or Europe in the early to mid-20th century.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"R. B. Prosser, ‘Parkes, Alexander (1813–1890)’, rev. Trevor I. Williams, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["CIRC.18-1961"],"accessionNumberNum":"18","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1961,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2016JF9097","2017JU7769"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-09-10","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":false}}