Comb with Art Nouveau Aesthetic, Japan

• country - Japan
• materials - lacquered tortoiseshell, brass plate, gilding, abalone peach-leaves and fruit
• object - comb
• object date - Taisho Era (1912-1926)
• source - Kajetan Fiedorowicz

Although this comb is shaped like a European back comb, it features peaches, a favorite Japanese theme. On the left, the 3 small peaches are all abalone; on the right, only one peach is abalone, while the other two are part of the brass plate. The comb shows how Art Nouveau affected the Japanese, as they made combs for a European market that was transitioning to Art Deco.