Hair Comb
Early 20th century
Democratic Republic of the Congo, probably northeastern region Central Africa
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Among the earliest African objects acquired by the Art Institute was a set of combs, purchased in 1924 for its Children’s Museum. Though upon arrival the combs were registered simply as “African,” stylistic analysis suggests that they probably came from the Belgian Congo, the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo. Made of thin wooden slats beautifully bound together with decorative lashings, they were among the Art Institute’s first African pieces.
Wood and plant fibers