Combs survive in abundance from the Middle Ages. The majority, carved from bone or wood, were practical objects used to remove unwelcome tangles and lice, and arrange the hair, but others, fashioned from ivory and ornamented with decoration and intricate narratives, performed more elevated roles.

Ivory combs decorated with scenes of courtly love and chivalry were exchanged as gifts by wealthy lovers, to beguile or demonstrate commitment, while those carved with sacred themes, played a part in ceremonial rituals involving high-ranking ecclesiastics and secular rulers. Bishops had their hair combed during their investitures, as did priests before they celebrated a Mass, and an emperor’s locks were combed in the course of his coronation.

This lecture will explore why well-groomed hair was desirable in the Middle Ages, consider contemporary images of combs in use, and examine medieval combs from church treasuries and museums, some connected with individuals like St Cuthbert (d. 687), and, paradoxically, Emperor Charles the Bald (d. 877)!