**Originally Listed At $300**

Egypt, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE. A double-sided wooden comb with a thick central handle designed to make it easy to hold and use. The Roman army issued such H-shaped combs made of boxwood as an attempt to maintain the soldiers' hygiene. Boxwood was imported from Syria and other parts of the Holy Land to make combs, because Egypt did not have any wood hard enough to be carved with such fine teeth. One genetics study has shown that combs like these came into fashion in Egypt along with the arrival of Europeans. The fact that such a simple utilitarian object carries so much information about military history as well as the migration of different peoples across time and space is fascinating. Size: 4.375" L x 2.75" W (11.1 cm x 7 cm)

Provenance: ex Estate of Eldert Bontekoe, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA acquired before 2000

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#159813

Repair to one outer prong near finer teeth, with small chips and light adhesive residue along break lines. Slight bending and warping to some teeth commensurate with age, with light encrustations within some teeth. Smooth patina throughout. Old inventory label on one side of main body.