Rice straw comb
Japan
Iron, wood
12.25" (31 cm) high by 24" (61 cm) wide by 3.25" (8 cm) deep
Meiji Period (1868-1912)
Ex collection Cathryn Cootner, former textile curator at the M.H. de Young Museum, SF

A large comb used for threshing rice straw, with 21 hand forged iron tines mounted on hard wood. Custom metal base.

The caption of the last photo: Winnowing rice in Japan, using the large double fan worked by a pair of bamboo handles. A metal comb for removing the rice from the straw stands at the right. The threshing is accomplished by drawing the heads of the rice through the teeth of a metal comb mounted as seen at the right.
#3777  

SOLD