Liturgical Comb in the Cloisters, April 2012

Liturgical Comb

Date: late 11th–early 12th century

Culture: Italian

Medium: Ivory

Dimensions: Overall: 3 3/4 x 4 1/2 x 11/16 in. (9.5 x 11.4 x 1.7 cm)

Classification: Ivories

Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1966

Accession Number: 66.172

Description: Decorated double-sided combs were generally used for the ritual preparation of the priest before the celebration of the Mass, but they could have a secular function as well. In some cases they entered church treasuries as relics of saints. The vigorous design of two youths mounted on confronting griffinlike beasts derives from Eastern motifs. Southern Italy had many political, cultural, and artistic contacts with Byzantium and the Islamic world.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/471851