Explore the hair combs in the Northcote W. Thomas collection, using the drop down menu below to browse objects from each town or region.
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Object number: Z 11804
Description: Bamboo comb long, narrow with a carved top on one side and a thin pointed handle. Burnt design on reverse.
Cultural sub-group: Aviele
Town: Agbede
Measurements: 25.2 cm long, 3.6 cm wide, 0.6 cm high
Object number: Z 11812
Description: Wooden comb with slightly carved handle, one prong broken.
Cultural sub-group: Aviele
Town: Agbede
Measurements: 21.2 cm long, 6.2 cm wide, 0.7 cm high
Object number: Z 11917 x2
Description: Two wooden combs. The first is a five pronged wooden comb, plain on reverse. The second comb is identical to the first one, but one prong is slightly damaged with the tip broken off.
Cultural sub-group: Yekhee
Town: Agenibode/Agenegbode
Measurements: 1: 12.2 cm long, 6.6 cm wide, 1.2 cm high; 2: 12.3 cm long, 6.6 cm wide, 1.1 cm high
Object number: Z 12284
Description: Azeto. Wooden comb, both sides of handle and shoulder carved with different pattern.
Cultural sub-group: Avianwu
Town: Fuga(r)/Avianwu
Measurements: 18.1 cm long, 5.3 cm wide, 1 cm high
Object number: Z 12475
Description: Oyiya. Wood comb, both sides carved, line design only on reverse.
Cultural sub-group: Yekhee
Town: Ijeba/Kukuruku/Uzebba
Measurements: 15 cm long, 5.4 cm wide, 0.5 cm high
Object number: Z 12331
Description: Oyiya. Wooden comb with ?female figure on handle and fibre string loop attached around neck.
Cultural sub-group: Yekhee
Town: Ijeba/Kukuruku/Uzebba
Measurements: 28.5 cm long, 4.8 cm wide, 2.4 cm high
Object number: Z 12711
Description: Small plain wooden comb with fine prongs, one broken.
Cultural sub-group: Yekhee
Town: Ijeba/Kukuruku/Uzebba
Measurements: 7.3 cm long, 2.9 cm wide, 0.3 cm high
Object number: Z 12430
Description: Ododahelu. Brass comb representing two birds, undecorated on reverse.
Cultural sub-group: Yekhee
Town: Ijeba/Kukuruku/Uzebba
Measurements: 8.6 cm long, 3.1 cm wide, 0.1 cm high
Object number: Z 12362
Description: Oyiya. Brass comb, handle undecorated on reverse.
Cultural sub-group: Yekhee
Town: Ijeba/Kukuruku/Uzebba
Measurements: 8.8 cm long, 3.9 cm wide, 0.4 cm high
Object number: Z 25392
Description: Wooden comb with seven prongs and a handle with a piece of string attached to the top.
Cultural sub-group: Yekhee
Town: Ijeba/Kukuruku/Uzebba
Measurements: 17.6 cm long. 5.7 cm wide, 1.8 cm high
Object number: Z 12710
Description: Plain wooden comb with four large prongs, ends worn away.
Cultural sub-group: Yekhee
Town: Ijeba/Kukuruku/Uzebba
Measurements: 10 cm long, 4.5 cm wide, 0.6 cm high
Object number: Z 12403
Description: Wooden comb, no carving on reverse.
Cultural sub-group: Yekhee
Town: Ijeba/Kukuruku/Uzebba
Measurements: 11.6 cm long, 3.5 cm wide, 0.8 cm high
Object number: Z 12333
Description: Cane comb with four sharp pointed prongs and cane wrapped around the top of the four prongs.
Cultural sub-group: Yekhee
Town: Ijeba/Kukuruku/Uzebba
Measurements: 6.2 cm long, 2.1 cm wide, 0.3 cm high
Object number: Z 12746 x2
Description: Two wooden combs. One fork-like, carved one side with a pointed handle. The second with no carving but a serrated edge on the handle leading up to a pointed handle.
Cultural sub-group: Esan
Town: Irrua
Measurements: 1: 22.6 cm long, 1.9 cm wide, 0.6 cm high; 2: 27 cm long, 2 cm wide, 0.7 cm high
Object number: Z 12753 x2
Description: Two wooden combs. One is a long fork like comb with seven prongs and pointed handle, the prongs wrapped with fibre in the centre. Carved with zig-zag patterns on one side. The second comb has fibre woven around half of the prongs, this forms the handle.
Cultural sub-group: Esan
Town: Irrua
Measurements: 1: 27.2 cm long, 2.1 cm wide, 0.6 cm high; 2: 12.7 cm long, 3.6 cm wide, 0.7 cm high
Object number: Z 12967 x2
Description: Ukale. Two wooden combs. One with a rough line engraving on both sides of shoulders. The second is of black wood with five prongs, one side of the top is covered with incised lines.
Cultural sub-group: Okpe
Town: Okpe
Measurements: 1: 6.5 cm long, 2.8 cm wide, 0.3 cm high; 2: 10.3 cm long, 3.6 cm wide, 0.6 cm high
Object number: Z 12979
Description: Bone comb carved on one side.
Cultural sub-group: Okpe
Town: Okpe
Measurements: 6.2 cm long, 3 cm wide, 0.3 cm high
Object number: Z 12885
Description: Bone comb, with nine prongs. Slightly carved handle with two holes, one prong is broken, no decoration on reverse
Cultural sub-group: Okpe
Town: Okpe
Measurements: 9.7 cm long, 3.4 cm wide, 0.3 cm high
Object number: Z 13105
Description: Bone comb with a human figure carved on the front. Undecorated on back. Two prongs broken.
Cultural sub-group: Okpe
Town: Okpe
Measurements: 12.3 cm long, 4.3 cm wide, 1.2 cm high
Object number: Z 12900
Description: Wooden comb, no carving on reverse.
Cultural sub-group: Okpe
Town: Okpe
Measurements: 11.6 cm long, 5.1 cm wide, 0.9 cm high
Object number: Z 12972
Description: Undecorated wooden comb. Small, black, one prong broken. The top is desigend like half a maltese cross.
Cultural sub-group: Okpe
Town: Okpe
Measurements: 8.4 cm long, 4.3 cm wide, 0.4 cm high
Object number: Z 13037
Description: Wooden comb, carved on both sides of shoulders but less ornate on reverse.
Cultural sub-group: Okpe
Town: Okpe
Measurements: 9.2 cm long, 4.4 cm wide, 0.5 cm high
Object number: Z 13055
Description: Small wooden comb. Black, with open work handle.
Cultural sub-group: Okpe
Town: Okpe
Measurements: 8.9 cm long, 3.9 cm wide, 0.4 cm high
Object number: Z 13041
Description: Wooden comb with six prongs and carved top.
Cultural sub-group: Okpe
Town: Okpe
Measurements: 10.2 cm long, 5.1 cm wide, 1.6 cm high
Object number: Z 12991
Description: Wooden comb, similar pattern on reverse but design less firm.
Cultural sub-group: Okpe
Town: Okpe
Measurements: 11 cm long, 2.3 cm wide, 0.4 cm high
Object number: Z 12978
Description: Small wooden comb with five fine prongs. The top edges display large and small notches.
Cultural sub-group: Okpe
Town: Okpe
Measurements: 11.7 cm long, 3.5 cm wide, 0.6 cm high
Object number: Z 13396 x4
Description: Ukele. Four brass combs, no decoration on reverse. Two worked on one side with six prongs and two worked with elaborate edge and five prongs.
Cultural sub-group: Ghotuo
Town: Otua/Otwa/Otuo
Measurements: 1: 7.4 cm long, 4.2 cm wide, 0.1 cm high; 2: 8.2 cm long, 3 cm wide, 0.1 cm high; 3: 8.2 cm long, 3.1 cm wide, 0.1 cm high; 4: 6.9 cm long, 2.9 cm wide, 0.1 cm high
Object number: Z 13397
Description: Bone comb, one side decorated.
Cultural sub-group: Ghotuo
Town: Otua/Otwa/Otuo
Measurements: Comb: 8 cm long, 3.1 cm wide, 0.2 cm high
Object number: Z 13387 B
Description: Bone comb.
Cultural sub-group: Ghotuo
Town: Otua/Otwa/Otuo
Measurements: 9.8 cm long, 2.6 cm wide, 0.2 cm high
Object number: Z 13387 A, C
Description: Kele. Two combs undecorated on reverse. A is a bone comb carved on one side. B is made of wood.
Cultural sub-group: Ghotuo
Town: Otua/Otwa/Otuo
Measurements: A: 8 cm long, 3.2 cm wide, 0.2 cm high; B: 11 cm long, 3.9 cm wide, 0.8 cm high
Object number: Z 13334
Description: Oyiya. Double ended wooden comb with a different carved pattern on each side.
Cultural sub-group: Ghotuo
Town: Otua/Otwa/Otuo
Measurements: 22.5 cm long, 6 cm wide, 0.6 cm high
Object number: Z 13453
Description: Brass comb made of sheet metal. Decorated with crosshatchings, spirals, dots and zigzag lines. Unusual shape, rounded at the head.
Cultural sub-group: Ora
Town: Sabongida/Sabongidda Ora
Measurements: 7.7 cm long, 5 cm wide
Object number: Z 13553 A-C
Description: Three wooden combs. A is carved on both sides with similar but not identical pattern. B has a similar pattern on both sides of shoulder, but less ornate on reverse. C with both sides of top decorated, the pattern on reverse consisting of a square filled with crosshatchings, surrounded by plain and crosshatched triangles.
Cultural sub-group: Ora
Town: Sabongida/Sabongidda Ora
Measurements: A: 12.8 cm long, 5.1 cm wide, 0.7 cm high; B: 25.6 cm long, 3.8 cm wide, 1 cm high; C: 18 cm long, 7.5 cm wide, 0.8 cm high
Object number: Z 13498 A.A, A.B, A.C
Description: Three wooden combs. A has ten prongs and a carved handle with tear-drop shaped hole in the middle.
B is a four-pronged comb with a carved, seated human figure on top. C has seven large prongs and a shaped handle. Leather twined round the top of prongs.
Cultural sub-group: Ora
Town: Sabongida/Sabongidda Ora
Measurements: A.A: 21.8 cm long, 6.6 cm wide, 0.9 cm high; A.B: 19.8 cm long, 5.1 cm wide, 1.6 cm high; A.C: 19.8 cm long, 6.9 cm wide, 0.7 cm high
Object number: Z 13462 A-C and another C
Description: Ugueba. Four wooden combs. A is a three pronged comb. B is a our pronged comb with moulded handle. One C has ten teeth and an openwork zig-zag shaped handle. There is a small hole at the end.
The other C comb has eight teeth and a plain handle with simple fishtail-shaped open work. The end of the handle is crescent shaped.
Cultural sub-group: Ora
Town: Sabongida/Sabongidda Ora
Measurements: A: 10.5 cm long, 3.5 cm wide, 0.6 cm high; B: 19.7 cm long, 4.7 cm wide, 1.4 cm high; C: 16.3 cm long, 6.4 cm wide, 0.9 cm high; C: 22.2 cm long, 6.2 cm wide, 1.2 cm high
