Featured Divine Japanese Lacquered Comb

I actually have few more combs on the way but not sure when they will arrive… so I will post this one today marking the beginning of a new collection!

This comb is 12cm long and 6mm thick, made from 40 grams of lacquered tortoiseshell. It’s signed but I cannot find any matching maker, so can’t figure out when exactly it was made. My guess is early 20th century? Pre-Showa period? Though it’s quite shiny, it has considerable amount of scratches and wear, which only adds to its charm as an antique. Isn’t it the queen of all combs!?

Simply enjoy! (Ignore the black lacquer in my nail )

 

@Any Jewelry you definitely want to see this blessed piece

 

It is a little beauty, and you are right, divine. I like the subtle use of different shades of gold, and the way the larger peony continues on the teeth of the comb.

You know me so well.

I should get out some of my Japanese hair jewellery. I believe there are photos of some of mine somewhere on the forum.

 

Oh yes! Although the gold background has a metallic gloss, the use of golden powder almost has a glowing effect unlike pure gold.

Please share a link if you made any posts previously

 

If I can find them....

 

What a beauty, Shammie!
You are falling in a whole new area of collection... I’m with you on that

 

Or making a new post when you feel like doing so! I will be there

 

I will continue to share mine, and if you got any similar hair jewelry in your collection I would love to see as well

 

Also the color change when viewed from different angles is fantastic… wonder if it’s intentional or a result of some sort of oxidation…

 

Planned or accidental - my answer would be who knows and who cares. It may look better now than it did new.

 

Yes it’s pretty either way, but the level of oxidation also helps with dating this piece. I remember seeing similar pattern-red paint under faded golden powder on Meiji pieces, but I might be wrong if this is just a common technique of applying gold onto red lacquer

 

You would definitely know more than I would. We see very little truely old Japanese material here.

 

That is incredibly beautiful! The colours are so delicate and I love the glow the gold gives it. I used to be obsessed with all things Japanese in high school, this brings back memories of things I would try to find.

 

Maybe it’s time to start a new collection & obsession!

 

I plan to do an archive for all my combs & this is looking good!

 

GASP what a beauty!! The craftsmanship is divine. You're going to spoil yourself straight away and only be able to buy things to this standard from now on!

 

Only those can pass my examination under 30x magnification

But apart from fancy ones with loads of details, I also find these simple& smooth ones particularly charming:

 

Those two are really elegant.

 

UPDATE: I finally found the maker of this comb… this inro bears a very similar peony, and the signature also matches…according to the auction house and Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, this is the work of Kawakami Kangetsu, active during Meiji era.

 

Oh, that is great news. The inro (and netsuke) is also a beauty, and I can see the similarity.