Two gilt-silver combs, Tang dynasty

Edward O' Neill, Hong Kong, 1980s.

It is rare to find two such well matched combs. Compare three Tang combs, including one of related twin-bird design, from the Idemitsu Museum of Art, included in Ancient Chinese Arts in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1989, pl. 337. An individual example from the collection of Dr Carl Kempe was sold in these rooms, 14th May 2008, lot 50 and more recently at Christie's New York, 12th September 2019, lot 564.