Bamboo hair comb
Maker
Unknown Maker
Description
In 1974 Waikato Museum acquired a selection of items, including this hair comb, from Graham Jackson. Jackson was a New Zealand anthropologist who spent time living with and researching the Kopon and the Kalam people of the Lower Kaironk Valley in Papua New Guinea.
Jackson fieldnotes: Bamboo hair comb with incised, linear decoration at top (kala ramo/kala pado comb). Kala is any needle like object; pado, and probably ramo, seem to refer to the base of the comb. These are made by males and used by both sexes, rather more as ornaments than for combing the hair. They become polished and reddish brown with age from the fruit pandanus sauce which is often rubbed on the head. Slight incising on concave inner surface.
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