Silver brush owned by members of the Ellis family

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

Decorative silver handled brush. There is a monogrammed engraved "M" at the center of the handle. This brush consists of a comb holder and comb strips of bristles. It is an elongated oval or a rectangle with half circular short ends. The outer covering of the handle is sterling silver with an egg and dart pattern around the circumference of the upper ridge. The silver covers a wooden comb holder insert housing 1 ½” semi-stiff yellow horsehair bristles. The wood is covered in thin wood or plastic veneer with circular holes for the horsehair to pass through. The silver is adorned in repoussé floral scrollwork. A maker’s mark is stamped into the side that reads [BLACK STARR & FROST.] with a tiny falcon with its head turned to the proper right. Also stamped into the side is the text [STERLING 37]. The initials [MM] or [WW] are engraved on the top surface.

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