Makonde Comb
Tanzania
A comb constructed along a vertical axis, the mass organised through a flat, elongated shaft terminating in a field of teeth forming the lower register.
Description
Carved from a single wood block, a female figure is carved at the upper register, the head surmounted by a bifurcated headdress formed by two rounded lateral lobes divided by a projecting central vertical ridge. Ribbed cylindrical elements descend from the headdress along either side of the face to shoulder height. Drop earrings are suspended from the carved earlobes. The figure remains continuous with the shaft, carved from the same mass; the body is contained within the planar structure, with minimal projection beyond the surface. Incised curvilinear motifs are distributed across the shaft in shallow, controlled patterning. The head, headdress, and lateral elements project beyond the shaft plane; the body and lower register remain planar. The teeth are evenly spaced and extend vertically from the lower edge. A layered glass bead necklace is fixed at the neck, comprising two closely spaced upper rows and a longer lower row descending toward the chest.
Surface is compact and stable. Patina is retained across the form; exposure at projecting elements. Incised details retained across the shaft.
Context
Among the Makonde, combs of this type are personal objects associated with grooming and social adornment.
Provenance
From the Felice Maffei Collection, acquired in Tanzania, 1987.
Details
- Title
- Makonde Comb
- Culture
- Makonde
- Origin
- Tanzania
- Date
- 20th century
- Dimensions
- H 73 cm (28.7 in) · W 17 cm (6.7 in)
- Medium
- Ebony with glass beads
- Provenance
- From the Felice Maffei Collection, acquired in Tanzania, 1987.
- Condition
- Stable patina; incised details retained; bead strand present.
