Tortoise Shell Hair Comb, <i>Peineta</i>
date: label: Date made
content: 1830 - 1850
notes: label: Description
content: Made from the shell of a tortoise, combs like this were a popular hair ornament throughout the Victorian era. The shell of the tortoise was boiled in salt water to allow it to be pressed into a mold and later carved. In Hispanic and Latin American cultures, the comb is known as a <i>peineta</i> and was worn by women as decoration and support for an elaborate hairstyle. The comb was worn under a <i>mantilla</i>, a decorative lace shawl that coverers the head and shoulders of the wearer.
topic: label: Subject
content: Latino
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Costume
label: See more items in
content: Many Voices, One Nation
label: Exhibition
content: Many Voices, One Nation
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Ida Guffey in memory of Pauletta Guffey
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: CS.391896
label: catalog number
content: 391896
label: accession number
content: 194781
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Comb, Ornamental
label: Other Terms
content: Comb, Ornamental; Headwear; Accessories Worn on the Body; Female
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: shell (overall material)