Attribution Incomplete Notice
Collections and items in our institution have incomplete, inaccurate, and/or missing attribution. We are using this notice to clearly identify this material so that it can be updated, or corrected by communities of origin. Our institution is committed to collaboration and partnerships to address this problem of incorrect or missing attribution.
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Artwork Details
12 x 4-5/8 x 3/8 in.
Accession NumberGift of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Eiteljorg
Copyright(Mohammedon Touray, New York) sold on July 12, 1973 to Harrison Eiteljorg [1903-1997] of Indianapolis; donated to the IMA 1989
Hair combs are found among many African peoples, from ancient Egyptian examples to imported plastic combs of today. Although men use combs in some cultures, they are most often associated with women.
This comb is from the Akan peoples of Ghana. Among the Akan, hair combs are presented to women by men on special occasions such as weddings and births. Although the combs are utilitarian, they also serve as mementos and could be displayed in the home or worn as hair ornaments.
Images carved on combs frequently relate to friendship. Some designs appearing on combs are European-inspired hearts and Christian crosses.
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Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
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