The shape of these combs resembles the human hand in an atavistic way. Their craftsmanship is exquisite: a series of 12 polished wooden points made from the interior of the tree fern (mau vwilih), arranged hierarchically and symmetrically by length, in a triangular disposition. In this particular pair, the wooden points are held together by woven hemp cord (bwele rava), although in other similar objects it is burao (coconut fiber) what is used for binding purposes. These combs are from Pentecóte Island in the New Hebrides –an archipelago in the South Pacific known today as Vanuatu- and are an extinct object of sorts, since it is reported that this particular style of comb making died in the early 1900s. The few remaining combs still in use today are found in the central areas of the island, where they are known as bwalavwih. Bwalavwihs are designed to be worn as hair ornaments by women in certain social ceremonies. They are about 18 cm. (7 in.) in height from top to bottom, and 11.5 cm. (4.5 in.) in width at the bottom. It is particularly remarkable that the ratio between those two dimensions (1.56) is very close to the number Phi (1.61) -the Golden Ratio; is that mere coincidence? is it possible that the craftsmen from the New Hebrides designed these everyday objects in the same harmonious proportion that Euclid of Alexandria defined in 300 B.C. and the Italians called the Divine Proportion in the 16th century?
