Featured Massive Japanese Tortoiseshell comb-Edo Period?

This gigantic beauty(14x6cm, 46 grams)arrived today and there’s a lot of questions I have with it.

This type of tortoiseshell comb is very fashionable during late Edo period, and it is said that after 1820s smaller combs began to dominate. I can find two or three combs with silver edge tagged as Edo.

However, mine is made of at least two layers of tortoiseshell, while the combs from the museum usually have only one thin layer. Would that mean mine was made later, maybe not Edo at all?

Also, as you can see the teeth are seriously bitten, one of them is very thin and I would love to fix that. What should I use that will provide the strongest bond and best look? Resin, nail polish, wax, or shellac?

 

it makes a great presentation on head, but I won’t wear it before the teeth are fixed!

 

Lovely Japanese minimalism. Would look beautiful with (silk) flowers.

The Japanese often laminated tortoiseshell, also during the Edo period.

This restorer uses dyed optical epoxy:

https://trianglestrings.com/replacing-missing-tortoiseshell/

 

A Japanese site I found said the technique was used from mid-Edo. However, not sure if my comb has the possibility to be made before 19th century they seemed to favour single-layered comb at that time as well ( I prefer a clear, wide and thin comb too)

 

I tried a bit epoxy glue on a few teeth that are too thin… for the one with most damage ( one layer was completely eaten) I am thinking about finding a donor comb and glue an entire tooth onto it

Also a few commercial restorers in Japan also use resin, but not sure how reversible is that

 

You can dissolve epoxy with things like acetone but uhhh I would think it would damage the tort as well.

 

I regretted using epoxy just a few minutes later and it’s all washed off now but I have pulled it into my hair and taken it off gently several times and nothing went wrong!

 

Also this makes me wonder …could it be tortoiseshell veneer on horn?

 

no horn looks like that.... and the flea bites on the tines are consistent with shell..
imo

 

I mean the parallel lines beneath the surface layer, sometimes Japanese do veneer thin tortoiseshell onto horn or horse hooves as tortoiseshell are too expensive just like gilt metal, but much stronger than that.

 

I don't know if I'd care. I'd be cheerfully putting it into my hoard and not worrying about it.

 

I always have this anxiety when I receive something not ‘as new’, but after a few days I won’t care either

 

Maybe if you can find a sufficient amount of authentic but damaged pieces cheap,you'd have specimens to practice and perfect your skills on ?

 

I know someone who has a lot of unwanted broken combs and can send me for free

 

This dealer in Japan has a comb also made with laminated layers of shell and said Edo, but wider in shape, tho might be smaller overall