M0000019: three carved ivory combs

Previous title, replaced May 2020: No info available about this object

Three carved ivory combs, two from the Congo area of Africa and one of unknown origin. The three-pronged comb on the left is from the Congo and features a female figure with hands on knees. It was acquired at auction in 1915 by the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum (accession number 1747). The middle comb is also from the Congo area of Africa and also acquired at auction in 1915 (accession number 1745). The five-pronged comb on the right features a human figure with long, pointed headdress. It was acquired by the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum and accessioned in 1921 (accession number 22743). The items are not held by Wellcome Collection.

03 June 1929

1 photograph glass plate negative; 12 x 16.5 cm

Wellcome Collection holds the accession registers which provide an entry for the items: acc. number 1745 and 1747 (image 130) and acc. number 22743 (image 138)

Catalogue data comes from a combination of entries in the original glass plate registers, metadata created when the glass plates were digitised in the early 2000s and enhancements made by the cataloguer in 2020.

Please consult the digitised version as this item is fragile. Email library@wellcomecollection.org to request access to the physical item.