Ashanti Face Decorated Comb - Ghana

Hard wood, traces of use, worn teeth. Wooden combs decorated with intaglio designs serve both as adornments and as detanglers that men or women stick into their hair, previously softened with a fatty substance. It is also this fatty substance that protects the combs and ensures their longevity. The decoration of these objects draws on a repertoire where abstract motifs, animal or human figures coexist. The finesse of a piece highlighted the prestige or rank of the person wearing it. (According to "Parures de tête" Dapper museum). The largest combs are for more "decorative" use, and are offered to newlyweds. Their creation often reflects a symbol. This is undoubtedly the case with our example.