French Gothic boxwood comb, fifteenth century

Overview

Carved from one piece of boxwood, this fifteenth-century French comb has two rows of teeth and openwork resembling Gothic windows. Its inscription crosses the two sides and joins a heart emblem to an intimate message; Cleveland translates it as an expression of giving someone possession of one’s heart.

The provenance names Vladimir G. Simkhovitch, New York, without dates. The maker and intended recipient are unrecorded.

History & identity

Maker unrecorded.

Sources & representation

Complete institutional record and native photograph.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Cleveland Museum of Art online catalogue: Comb (1951.452)

   Cleveland Museum of Art

   Undated online record; manufacture date and catalogue update timestamps are separate.

Language & cultural connections

Source-supported language and cultural connections have not yet been compiled for this profile.

References

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1. Primary institutional object recordComb — Cleveland Museum of Art 1951.452Research access: 2026-10-21

Image credits

AI-generated object interpretation.