| To the African, the comb was more than an instrument for grooming.
It was ornately carved to indicate his or her tribal and cultural affiliation,
personal status, history, and wealth. The comb was often presented to a
loved one as a gift or expression of love. This important cultural symbol
did not accompany the African on the slave ships to the Americas and for
a period of 400 years, from the fourteenth century to the eighteenth century,
was a missing part of African life in the Americas.
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| This page is part of the "AFRICA:
One Continent. Many Worlds." web site. All photographic images and
text contained within these web pages ARE COPYRIGHTED and may not be commerically
reproduced, or utilized in any manner, without the prior written consent
of the owner. Select
this text for more information.
Photographs by Dick Meier |
