This hand-carved horn and baroque pearl comb was made by Lucien Gaillard (French, 1861-1942), a jeweler and goldsmith who worked in the Art Nouveau style. Art Nouveau was a style of art and architecture popular between 1890 and 1910 in Europe and the United States characterized by the use of curved lines, sinuous and organic shapes, and ornamentation. Gaillard took inspiration from East Asian art and style motifs. His designs often focused on humble subjects such as insects, plants, and natural forms. Gaillard’s work became known for his simplicity, using only a single motif per object.

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The comb has the design of two umbels, or“ombelle” in French. An umbel is a flower structure that consists of clusters of flowers arranged on short stems that branch out from a central point. Umbels are a characteristic form found in plants such as carrot, parsley, dill, and fennel.

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Through art historical research, it was later discovered that this comb would have had three umbels instead of two. While not evident at the time, it is now known that one of the umbels was missing during the time the object was acquired.