By skilled hands

The Gardienne Hair Comb, Agate is our gift with qualifying orders. Offered with the hope that it becomes a favourite for reasons entirely your own. 

A form of attachment.

Glossy black, deep burgundy, two black agates. A sculptural, reversible comb inspired by vintage Japanese lacquerware, made for the daily gesture of gathering your hair.

Red over black.

In medieval Japan, bowls, trays and utensils associated with Negoro-ji were coated in black lacquer, then red. Years of handling wore the red thin. Black emerged where hands had returned, leaving uneven traces that became part of what made Negoro prized. A useful vessel carried the history of its use in its surface.

La Petite Cuisine began in our Galerie kitchen, with an affection for the objects and rituals surrounding a meal. Gardienne brings that attention from the table to the ritual of dressing.

This comb carries the red-over-black order into acetate. A glossy sheet of burgundy is bonded to a sheet of black and shaped into a single body. Their meeting remains visible along the edges, tracing each curve. Turn the comb and the second colour becomes the first. The depth lies in their relationship: two distinct colours held together within one form.

Nuritate offered another point of reference: a final lacquer coat left to harden without further polishing. We deliberately retain subtle surface variations within the comb’s gloss, an echo of the older lacquerware we admire.

Both faces can be worn. Black may face the room while burgundy stays close to you; reverse it and the warmer face brings two black agates into view. We placed the dark stones on this brighter ground with a small wish for brighter days.

Five curved teeth give the silhouette its rhythm; the spaces between them are part of its form. Lift your hair and the composition changes: the curve of the neck is revealed, an earring comes into view.

The history it gathers next will be yours: a place beside the mirror, a curve familiar to the hand, an evening remembered through the colour you chose.

The piece

- Two bonded layers of glossy black and deep burgundy acetate. 

- The body is tortoiseshell pattern acetate, roughly 10 cm by 5 cm. Two natural black agate, 6 by 8 mm.

- Satin pouch with a pressed flower, roughly 11.5 cm by 7 cm. 

- Two black agate cabochons on the burgundy face. 

- Reversible design with five curved teeth. Intentionally retained surface variation within the gloss finish.

Wearing & care

Wear either face outward in a twist or pinned-up style. Insert and remove gently, without forcing the teeth.

Keep away from heat, perfume, hairspray and prolonged contact with water. Wipe with a soft, dry cloth. Store separately to protect the surface.

The Gardienne. The decorated comb. Designed by Rowan Ooi, executed by MYJN Galerie.