We have been using combs for at least 5000 years-here are some of the most beautiful surviving examples of old combs

Living in a modern (soulless) era where everything is mass-produced and soulless inspires our history craving for objects so random yet so necessary  such as combs. A comb is  a comb right, it had one purpose 5000 years ago and it has the same purpose now, yet, there is a huge  difference from combs today and the combs of the past.

The main difference is that now when we look upon ancient combs we see a mirror of a specific culture unlike the modern comb which represents nothing  more than an object with a purpose.

Combs are among the oldest artifacts found by archaeologists, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlements dating back to 5,000 years ago in Persia.

A Stone Age nit comb. Source

 

 

 

The world’s oldest runic inscription (160 AD) on the Vimose comb, Denmark.Source

 

Comb made out of bone. Site Vienna I. district Judenplatz, synagogue filling of a pit in the Schulhof. Source

 

Bone comb with two heads of horses from the Carolingian period (750-900) found in the river Scheldt, now in the archeological museum of Hamme, Belgium. Source

 

Ashanti comb – an example of Afro pick. Source

 

Bone comb with bird figures from the Carolingian period (750-900) found in the river Scheldt, now in the archeological museum of Hamme, Belgium. Source.Source

 

Comb 17th centry Netherlands. Source

 

Achilles dragging Hector’s corpse through the Greek camp. Bone comb from tomb 5, via Frascati in Oria. Source

 

Ancient Egyptian comb, c. fifteenth century BC. Source

 

Ancient Roman comb. Source

 

A set of combs found on the 16th-century ship Mary Rose Source

 

A liturgical comb, possibly made in Italy, fifteenth century Source

 

Scythian comb, c. 400 BC Source

 

Indian metal comb for keeping hair in place, adorned with a pair of birds. After removing the central stopper, perfume can be poured into the opening in order to moisten the teeth of the comb and the hair of the wearer.Source

 

A comb of tortoiseshell and silver, possibly from Goa; in the inventory of Rudolph II of Prague by 1607-1611. Source

 

 

Etruscan comb, c. seventh century BC. Source

From stone age to mediveal ages, the surving combs above show emblematic examples of craftsmenship representing the specific time and culture.