Made from the shell of a tortoise, combs like this were a popular hair ornament throughout the Victorian era. The shell of the tortoise was boiled in salt water to allow it to be pressed into a mold ...

Ornate hair comb of tortoiseshell effect cellulose nitrate, three teeth, body decorated with cut-out tendril design, brilliants and metal studs, art nouveau, 1900s ...

Think of famous Egyptian royalty such as Cleopatra or Nefertiti or even African chieftains and what comes to mind is their regal bearing linked closely to the ornate and elegant head ornaments they ...