Two late Victorian hair combs faux tortoiseshell hair accessories

Two faux tortoiseshell hair combs Spanish style with pierced headings. CONDITION: good vintage condition with expected wear. APPROXIMATE DATE: 1890s - 1910s.

Comb on left measures 5¼ ins h x 2 ins w (13.5 x 5 cm) decorative part 2 ins (5 cm). Comb on right measures 5 ins h x 2 ins w (13 x 5 cm) decorative part 1½ ins (4 cm).

The design of these pretty three pronged hair combs is typical of the smaller and lighter hair accessories which were popular in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. This type of ornament is often known as Spanish or mantilla comb because it resembles a smaller version of the traditional large shell ornaments worn by Spanish ladies with their native dress. In practice any comb which has a high upstanding heading or top which stands proud of the top of the head is often called a mantilla comb. Changes in the manner of dressing the hair in the late 1800s led to a taste for smaller and lighter hair accessories than those which had been fashionable for the previous 20 years.

The fashionable style was now the "Gibson Girl" look, where hair was dressed out over pads in a fluffy and feminine style with wisps escaping at the sides. With these softer styles the taste was for smaller ornaments, especially those with a light, openwork appearance.

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