Comb (cisakulo)
Unknown Artist
mid- to late 1800s
Medium
Wood, glass beads, and natural fibers
Dimensions
13.3 × 8 × 1.4 cm
Classification
Jewelry
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Harold T. Clark Educational Extension Fund
Accession Number
1915.453
About this artwork
Chokwe women and men inserted finely decorated combs and pins in their hair to signal rank and wealth. Here, as among neighboring peoples, hairstyles reflected changing trends across place and over time. This comb's wooden material and sculptural top made it of a higher value than simple examples made from metal or cane. Its wide teeth were practical, securing elements of a hairstyle in place. The long-beaked ngungu birds with beaded necklaces were a well-known symbol of chiefly power. In additi...