KOCHI: On the way to Fort Kochi, near the bus stand one is sure to find a lone man busy cutting, chiseling and polishing a hard rock-like material. Before him are several eye-catching pieces of animal figurines on display. There's a miniature of fish, peacock, elephant and a bird. The one thing common to them is that they all have a teeth-like carving. Out of curiosity we ask him what it is? The man in broken Malayalam replies, "It is a comb..."And these are no ordinary combs. They are an unusual creation made out of animal horns. Animal activists might frown over such a craft, and rightly so. But for M Kumar, who has been living in the city for the last 15 years, it merely means following the tradition his forefathers left behind.Besides the fact that these combs are very artistic looking, Kumar says they are also good for the hair, as they do not have the static that plastic varieties often produce. “The teeth on many plastic combs are quite sharp and can scratch the scalp. A horn comb typically has smoother, blunter tooth design that gently stimulates the hair,” says the 30 year old. Many hair care experts advise clients to massage the scalp and to always use good quality, natural combs that are gentle, he adds.Kumar has been carving out combs made out of buffalo and ox horns from the age of 12. He is the third generation horn comb maker in his family. “My grandfather began this trade. Before that our family used to make wooden combs,” says Kumar who hails from Kanyakumari. Making the horn combs is hard work, and involves perseverance, which is why the trade is on the verge of extinction, he says. Procuring horns is also difficult and has affected the livelihood of handicraft artists. “I buy horns from a horn processing factory in Thrissur,” he says.It takes a day's work to make a single animal figurine comb. As horns have different colour tones, each comb also looks different and chic. The horns are first cut into two halves and then heated above the stove. “When they become hot, one steps on them, making the horns become completely flat. Then they are cut according to the desired shape using a sharp knife. After that they are chiseled. The shape is directly given without any drawing,” says Kumar. After the comb is made, they are rubbed with sand paper to give it smoothness, then designs are made on it and finally using chalk powder they are polished which enhances the glaze look.These elegantly shaped combs with decorative carvings of fish, bird, elephant and peacock starts from Rs 200. “Making the elephant and peacock comb requires a lot of time and patience. One small mistake during cutting can damage the whole piece,” says Kumar. The peacock and elephant pieces are the costliest ones in the collection but tourists seem to instantly sense their value and buy it without hesitation. Even as we were speaking to Kumar, a foreigner came up and cooly purchased a few of the combs. The sale is at its peak during the tourist season. “In one day three to four pieces get sold,” Kumar says. During the off season, he makes lice combs which only cost Rs 50. Even though he is just a fifth pass, he manages to speak English quite well with foreigners which he learnt after coming to Fort Kochi. Kumar who lives in Thevara with his wife and two kids says that he plans to teach his children this craft hoping to pass on his traditional vocation to the next generation.
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