A superb man's comb with a large, stylized human head representing an important ancestor as the main decorative ellement. The head of a crocodile terminates the combs finial. The three cane bindings on the combs teeth were put there originally to shape the spacing and curvature of the tines.

Admiralty Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, P.N.G., Melanesia. Palm frond ribs, pigments, and puttynut (paste made from the nut of the Parinarium). 27.3 x 8.5 (w/o spacers) x 2.3 cm. 19th century. Collected by Consul M. Thiel circa 1899. Ex coll. : Linden Museum, Stuttgart, N° 57379. (there is a black inscription with name and number on the rear); then coll. Himmelheber. The Linden Museum records show this comb as Haarkamm, Admiralitätsinseln. item N° 57379. This comb was acquisitioned by the museum as the 3rd Thiel collection in 1908. The comb was deaccessionend in 1942 and went to Prof. Himmelheber.
Ref.: Personal communication from Dr. I. Heermann.
Neverman, Dr. Hans. ADMIRALITATS-INSELN, ERGEBNISSE DER SUDSEE-EXPEDITION 1908-1910. Hamburg, Friederichsen, de Gruyter & Co. 1934.
Ohnemus, Sylvia: AN ETHNOLOGY OF THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS, The Alfred Bühler Collection, Museum der Kulturen, Basel, Crawford House Publishing, Bathurst, 1998.