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  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

Bless Beauty Hairbrush

A paddle hairbrush with a wood finish and blonde hair extending about a foot in length from the paddle in place of bristles.

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  • A paddle hairbrush with a wood finish and blonde hair extending about a foot in length from the paddle in place of bristles.

Date:

1999

Artist:

Bless (German and French, founded 1997)
Ines Kaag (German, born 1970)
Desiree Heiss (Austrian, born 1971)

About this artwork

The design studio Bless persistently creates work that falls within and between the categories of fashion, beauty,
interior decor, and fine art. Early in their collaboration, the Bless designers produced this hairbrush, which features flowing locks of human hair in place of bristles. This act of replacement resulted in an uncanny item that recalls Surrealist objects from the early 20th century. However, the designers dismiss this connection, insisting that the brush is a tool whose purpose is to preserve hair as a souvenir, a practice associated with Victorian mourning traditions.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

BLESS eine GmbH (Designer)

Title

Bless Beauty Hairbrush

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Designed 1999

Medium

Hair and wood

Dimensions

Brush: 23 × 8 × 0.6 cm (9 × 3 × 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Architecture Purchase Account Fund

Reference Number

2017.120

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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