Origins of the Afro Comb: 6,000 years of culture, politics and identity 2 July to 3 November 2013 - The Fitzwilliam Museum Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1RB 2 July to 28 September 2013 – The Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DZ ADMISSION FREE fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk maa.cam.ac.uk The Afro Comb Hair and grooming have always played an important role in the culture of Africa and the African Diaspora. The traditional African comb has played a crucial role in the creation, maintenance, and decoration of hair-styles for both men and women. In many African societies, ancient and modern, the hair comb symbolises status, group affiliation, and religious beliefs, and is encoded with ritual properties. The handles of combs are decorated with objects of status, such as the headrest, human figures, and motifs that reference nature and the traditional spiritual world. In the twentieth century ‘afro’ combs have taken on a wider political and cultural message, perhaps most notably in the form of the ‘black fist’ comb that references the Black Power salute. By looking at archaeological records of burials, and through recording oral histories in modern societies, it is hoped the exhibition Origins of the Afro Comb will provide a much better understanding of the status of this iconic object and the spiritual and societal status it can hold.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 09:45:11 +0000
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