Hand Carved Green Sandalwood Comb — Lotus Tongjing

Most carved combs carry a motif. This one carries a story. The carving technique is called Tongjing — a Double-Sided Panoramic carving in which the design flows seamlessly across both faces of the comb with perfect symmetry, as if the wood itself were a window onto a single, continuous scene. To achieve it, the craftsman must hold the entire composition in mind across both surfaces simultaneously, carving with a precision that leaves no margin for error. The result is not decoration. It is a feat of hand.

The scene is the entire lifecycle of the lotus in one uninterrupted view: a delicate bud emerging at the edge, a grand leaf anchoring the center, a magnificent full bloom opening at the base. Turn the comb over and the panorama continues — the same bud, the same leaf, the same bloom, rendered with the same depth and clarity on the reverse. In Green Sandalwood, a dense South American hardwood with a pale yellowish olive heartwood that deepens toward forest green and near-black with age, the carving takes on a different quality of shadow depending on the light. The wood carries a distinctive natural fragrance. Hold it and you notice it immediately.

In traditional Chinese culture, this lotus composition carries two blessings at once. The first is Yi Lu Lian Ke — the lotus (Lian) as wordplay for “successive,” a wish for continuous advancement, smooth progress, and consecutive success that once accompanied scholars to imperial examinations and today travels with anyone building something worth building. The second is Liandai — the full lifecycle from bud to bloom as a celebration of continuous vitality, family harmony, and endless generations of prosperity. A comb given with this carving is not a gift of beauty alone. It is a blessing carried in the hand.

Why You'll Love It:

• Shaped through a meticulous 36-step handcrafting process by artisans with over 20 years of expertise
• Tongjing (Double-Sided Panoramic) carving — a continuous lotus lifecycle scene flowing seamlessly across both faces with perfect symmetry
• Bud, grand leaf, and full bloom — the entire lotus lifecycle captured in a single uninterrupted composition
• Fine teeth — ideal for straight, fine, and layered hair types, and beard grooming
• Rounded, hand-polished teeth for smooth, snag-free combing, gentle on the scalp
• Naturally porous wood distributes hair oils evenly with every pass
• Anti-static hardwood construction — no frizz, no flyaways
• Stimulates scalp circulation for a healthier scalp over time
• Single-piece Green Sandalwood with distinctive natural wood fragrance
• Includes drawstring gift bag — ready to give
• End of life: compost me!

Size: 13.5 × 5.5 × 1.2 cm (5.3 × 2.3 × 0.47 in)

Tooth Space: 0.15 cm (0.06 in)

Material: Green Sandalwood

Care: Wipe clean with a dry or slightly damp cloth · Avoid prolonged exposure to water · Keep away from direct heat and sunlight · Handle with care — avoid dropping on hard surfaces · This wood is highly susceptible to heat — store in a cool place

Note: Each comb is hand carved from a single piece of Green Sandalwood — color ranges from pale yellowish olive to forest green and deepens with age and light exposure. Variation in grain, color, and carving depth is inherent to the handcrafted process. No two combs are identical.