Comb c. 1940

This is a watercolour of a comb, made by Isidore Steinberg. Consider the comb, not merely as a tool for taming hair, but as a potent symbol across cultures and epochs. Its teeth, arranged in purposeful order, remind us of the human impulse to organize, to bring order from chaos. From ancient Egypt, where intricately carved combs were buried with the dead, symbolizing passage into the afterlife, to the present day, the comb carries the weight of ritual and identity. Look at the material here: faux tortoiseshell. What does it mean for something to imitate something else? The human mind loves to see the familiar, but the introduction of something artificial introduces tension. The act of combing, repeated daily, is a powerful, intimate gesture; a ritual laden with psychological weight, as the comb touches the body. It is an act of self-presentation, of crafting an image for the world. Just as hairstyles change, the comb evolves, always reflecting the cyclical progression of culture and the human psyche.