An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c23.s3.14

v1.c23.s3.14

Most interesting are the combs from Sirkap (Taxila) datable between the 1st century B.C. and 1st century A.D. (Marshall, 1951, pp. 655-6). According to Marshall ‘they are of a type familiar in the Graeco-Roman world and were no doubt introduced from the West.’ Out of the six specimens found in the excavations only one is plain and ‘the rest are decorated with incised circlets or more elaborate designs, including a shell, foliate devices, duck and a pair of human busts of the kind that are familiar in Graeco-Roman art as well as in the carvings of Gandhāra and Mathurā.’ The teeth of these ivory and bone combs are sawn very evenly with a fine saw and are slightly rounded and not pointed at the ends. Perhaps the smaller and lighter combs were used as ornaments in the hair.