Silver brush owned by members of the Ellis family
date: label: Date
content: late 19th-early 20th century
name: label: Created by
content: Black, Starr & Frost, American, founded 1810
notes: label: Description
content: Decorative silver handled brush. There is a monogrammed engraved "M" at the center of the handle. This brush consists of a comb holder and comb strips of bristles. It is an elongated oval or a rectangle with half circular short ends. The outer covering of the handle is sterling silver with an egg and dart pattern around the circumference of the upper ridge. The silver covers a wooden comb holder insert housing 1 ½” semi-stiff yellow horsehair bristles. The wood is covered in thin wood or plastic veneer with circular holes for the horsehair to pass through. The silver is adorned in repoussé floral scrollwork. A maker’s mark is stamped into the side that reads [BLACK STARR & FROST.] with a tiny falcon with its head turned to the proper right. Also stamped into the side is the text [STERLING 37]. The initials [MM] or [WW] are engraved on the top surface.
place: label: Place used
content: Orange County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Black interiors
label: Topic
content: Domestic life
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Hair
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Accessories and Personal Effects
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Clara Ellis Payne
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.42.8.3
objectType: label: Type
content: brushes
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: silver, horsehair, and wood
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 2 x 1 3/4 x 6 in. (5.1 x 4.4 x 15.2 cm)