{"product_id":"african-textile-tool-wooden-carved-fiber-comb-with-forged-iron-spikes","title":"African Textile Tool Wooden Carved Fiber Comb with Forged Iron Spikes","description":"\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eThis rare hand-carved African fiber comb was used for stripping coarse fibers from palm leaves and raffia for weaving. While often misidentified as a wool comb for separating strands of wool, the hand-forged iron spikes are not made for combing fine fibers but for shredding and tearing. The Royal Museum for Central Africa has these fiber-processing combs in their collection, which are described as rare because they were everyday working objects, not ceremonial pieces, so fewer survived. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eThe tapered hardwood handle has cross-hatched geometric patterns, burned and incised lines and segmented bands, all characteristic of Central African tools from the Congo Basin (Democratic Republic of Congo \/ Republic of Congo) and possibly from Gabon or Cameroon. Utilitarian tools like this one are not always tribe-specific, as similar designs were shared across neighboring cultures.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eThe eleven very sharp iron spikes (or teeth) with their uneven shaping and hammer marks were driven through a piece of hollowed cow bone that's secured to the wood handle with various sizes of hand-cut iron nails. The nails are riveted--beaten down--onto the other side to form irregular knobs. This construction is also characteristic of the Congo Basin and Cameroon \/ Gabon regions. It's rare for the mount to survive intact in this condition. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eThis African textile-working tool dates from the early to mid-twentieth century. It measures 12 inches in length, about 3\/4 of an inch thick, 4 inches across the cow bone mount and weighs 10 ounces. The spikes stand 4 1\/2 inches tall. Although heavily used (we cleaned off the dirt), it's in excellent condition with a handsome patina and no missing spikes, nails or pieces of wood. For collectors of African material cultural artifacts, this is a museum-worthy collector piece with strong visual appeal. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003e© \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/PrimpingYourHome.com\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ePrimpingYourHome.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"white-space:pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003ePYH 5814\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Primping Your Home Antiques \u0026 Vintage Home Decor","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47834040271035,"sku":"5814","price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0721\/9101\/7147\/files\/5814-AfricanCarvedWoodenFiberCombwithForgedIronSpikes-Up-Facing-Front-Handle-inCase-1536x1024.jpg?v=1778766364","url":"https:\/\/www.primpingyourhome.com\/products\/african-textile-tool-wooden-carved-fiber-comb-with-forged-iron-spikes","provider":"Primping Your Home Antiques \u0026 Vintage Home Decor","version":"1.0","type":"link"}