Silver amulet in the shape of a moustache comb. In the old days many men had a moustache comb hanging down from their belts. Most were made of wood but for some combs more expensive materials such as ivory, jade or silver were used. This one is however unusual because it does not have teeth and was clearly meant to be an amulet. Was it meant as a protection against sudden death of a loved one? When a wife died, the widower would often beak off one of the teeth of his moustache comb as a memory to his loss. But this silver comb does not have teeth so perhaps this explains its purpose. The ‘comb’ hangs from a chain which ends in a bell-shaped ornament which is engraved with an unknown flower. It dates from the late Qing (1644 – 1912). Total length including chain 20.5 cm. Comb length 5.7 cm. Width 3.2 cm. Depth 0.3 cm.