a bone comb

[larson1951]

the only one i have ever found or seen

musta took a lot of time to make it

 

[GatorBoy]

That's a great find Larson.
This is only my opinion but it looks like a pottery comb to me
In my research I've seen a lot of artifacts just like yours that had professional use wear analysis done that show ones like yours were most likely used for melding clay coils together and other uses in the pot making process.
I believe I can see wear consistent with that on yours.

 

[GatorBoy]

 

[Charl]

That's a great find Larson.
This is only my opinion but it looks like a pottery comb to me
In my research I've seen a lot of artifacts just like yours that had professional use wear analysis done that show ones like yours were most likely used for melding clay coils together and other uses in the pot making process.
I believe I can see wear consistent with that on yours.

Almost sounds like like you're referring to an artifact known as a "pottery dentate stamp". I think Steve's example is most likely a hair comb because dentate stamps don't need tines fashioned that deeply. They just need a series of very shallow teeth, and as with the small stone example I illustrate, these could be made of stone too. But, and common sense will suggest this, a lot easier to make such tools out of wood then bone, as in the simple to fashion dentate sticks shown in the second illustration below.

 

[GatorBoy]

No most often referred to as a pottery comb.
If I was referring to a dentate stamp I would agree with what you stated.

 

[old digger]

Awesome! If I remember right you showed that to us when we were over there.

 

[larson1951]

That's a great find Larson.
This is only my opinion but it looks like a pottery comb to me
In my research I've seen a lot of artifacts just like yours that had professional use wear analysis done that show ones like yours were most likely used for melding clay coils together and other uses in the pot making process.
I believe I can see wear consistent with that on yours.

well thanks gator that is an interesting idea and it could be true.......the pottery i see from some areas must have been worked with something like a small rake or comb
.....many good ideas and much information come to us from posting here......

i still lean towards the comb for hair but nobody can know for sure

i have read some early writing from the post contact that said how the mandans were very conscious about their looks and their hair especially........
many of the mandan dandys wore a small piece of a mirror attached to their wrist by a bracelet type thing and had their own little comb stuck under the mirror.........
....they would stop what they were doing many times throughout the day to make sure they 'looked good'..............this another reason why i think comb?

 

[larson1951]

Awesome! If I remember right you showed that to us when we were over there.

yup i did
i like the little Takoja on your new avatar

 

[cowboy7450]

very cool nice fine sir

 

[Sheperdess]

Steve your combs teeth are made with a curve when the others shown are straight across the bottom of the teeth. Just sayin' .

 

[Charl]

No most often referred to as a pottery comb.
If I was referring to a dentate stamp I would agree with what you stated.

Ok, that can be confusing since dentate sticks are also known as pottery combs. Would love to see a demonstration of the process you describe.

 

[NGE]

Steve
Yours is only the second one I have seen in a private collection.They are so thin.I am sure they were a prized item to own as they do not show up much. How old are you thinking?

You should change your screenname to "Bones"

 

[Charl]

That's a great find Larson.
This is only my opinion but it looks like a pottery comb to me
In my research I've seen a lot of artifacts just like yours that had professional use wear analysis done that show ones like yours were most likely used for melding clay coils together and other uses in the pot making process.
I believe I can see wear consistent with that on yours.

OK, finally did find a reference to a pottery comb used as a "potter's tool", but I'm not sure exactly how as I'm not familiar with the style of pottery described here. Actually, it does sound more like a decoration creating tool, rather then involved with coils. Still looking for the technique described. GB, if you ever come across a link showing that usage, feel free to post of course. Any reference or citation so I can see the use wear analysis and the studies you speak of; google isn't helping me this morn..........

 

[GatorBoy]

Will do Charl... This evening

 

[GatorBoy]

Its called the score and slip method of marrying coils.
Now I will do my best to locate some references.. Bare with me

 

[curious kat]

WOW...guess I missed seeing that...how wonderful it is!

 

[Charl]

Its called the score and slip method of marrying coils.
Now I will do my best to locate some references.. Bare with me

Hey Gator, the caption to this photo says "it helps to adhere the coils to each other if you score and wet(slip) the coils as you go along". The potter is using a fork, so I bet that's the equivalent of a pottery comb? The "scoring" refers to scratching the wet pottery, so I imagine that's where such a tool comes into play. As far as I can see, though, if that's what "score and slip" describes, you still would not need a comb with long tines as you would need for a hair comb. Just need a tool that scratches wet clay. Tool with tines sounds best, though, but inch long teeth would be plenty long enough I should think for the thickness of a single coil. Anyway, learned something new........

Scoring: making markings to edges of two pieces of clay before joining with slip.

Slip: clay diluted with water to the consistency of cream, used for joining pieces of clay together".

 

[Charl]

Gator, interestingly, here the scoring tool was described as a quill brush, resulting in the scoring seen in the photo. No need for long teeth on a bone comb to lightly score wet pottery, as seen in the photo below. Those are not deep scoring lines done with long teeth. A quill brush will do. See link below.

TOOLS OF NATIVE AMERICAN POTTERY OF THE EASTERN FORESTS

All things considered, and looking at Steve's comb again, I wouldn't think they would need to go through that kind of trouble with bone just to create a tool to score soft wet pottery. At the link immediately above, the dentate tool itself could be confused by someone as an odd short toothed comb by the looks of it, and I can see having some kind of scoring devise, but when even a quill brush will do the trick, I think Steve's comb is likely associated with hair, whether for grooming or decoration or holding hair in place. Just my two cents.

 

[GatorBoy]

I appreciate your diligence... it's driving me batty that I can't seem to locate a couple of the p_d_f files I know I had saved.
I did a bunch of research after finding some pottery with markings on the interior that I didn't understand.
I also found that similar objects were used making patterns like this

 

[larson1951]

You should change your screenname to "Bones"

haha....yep

well my name is steve bauman............i think i might take your advice and change it to 'stevie boneman'.......

anyhow for the new ideas i am seeing here i am gonna post this image of a piece i own and put up for discussion

 

[GatorBoy]

Another very cool piece.
Obviously what I stated above is only my opinion but I'm just looking at things like the fact it's only the size of a thumb.. I wouldn't expect something that small to be utilized effectively on an entire head of human hair... If it was however it would take many many runs through the scalp which to me with the oils in the hair and skin would lead to it being highly polished.
It seems a whole lot more likely to me that it's a small utilitarian tool used in pottery making.
I believe I see the bone actually worn down from this process toward the tips



.... Here's a couple interesting interior pottery pieces .. That to me go along with your new photos ... These markings and that new piece seem to fit the mold of a dentate stamp to me....anyway.