France, early 20th Century / c. 1900
Lily of the Valley Comb
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Lily of the Valley Comb as jewelry (France, early 20th Century · c. 1900).
Lalique valued the use of horn for its transparent qualities and natural color.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this jewelry as horn, enamel and gold and credits René Lalique (French, 1860–1945).
The museum's collection notes: This comb was purchased by Cleveland native Jeptha Homer Wade II from Lalique after admiring the designer's work at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, probably for his wife Ellen Garretson Wade. Pearlescent horn forms the leaves of the lily of the valley, out of which the delicate, bell-shaped enamel flowers emerge.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtLily of the Valley CombOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.