5. A comb and mirror, c1940s

To mark the nation's 40th anniversary, we feature 40 historic objects.

A comb and mirror from about the 1940s.

These simple objects are a treasured gift from a grandmother to her granddaughter, although the two never met. Maitha Al Mehairbi discovered the family heirlooms, which belonged to her paternal grandmother, Abra bint Ali, who died in a car accident just days after the formation of the United Arab Emirates on December 2, 1971.

Video: 5. Mirror and comb - 1940s

These simple objects are a treasured gift from a grandmother to her granddaughter which would have been used for a distinctive local hairstyle for women called achfah, that is now little more than a memory.

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"I was really curious about my grandmother because she was quite famous not just within our family, but among the older generation," Al Mehairbi says. "I've met a lot of people who speak very emotionally about her. She was known locally as a person who was very welcoming and had an open house."

The comb and mirror would have been used in the creation of a distinctive local hairstyle for women called achfah that is now little more than a memory. They were at least 30 years old in 1970 and probably date from the 1940s, when possessions were few during a time of economic hardship. The glass in the mirror would have been imported, probably from India, but the frame and the comb, with its distinctive pattern, were probably made locally.

Preparation of the hairdo fell to a woman called a me'agsah, who travelled from house to house. First the hair was treated with oil and then with a thick paste made from the leaves of the myrtus communis plant, known as al yas, and which is traditionally used to strengthen hair. It was then braided, with 14 strands each side, before being folded in a distinctive bun. Finally other preparations, including amber, saffron and mhaalab, an aromatic spice made from ground cherry stones, would be added to give the hair fragrance as well as to protect it from the heat and dust.

The comb still carries the faintest hint of these long-forgotten preparations. For Al Mehairbi it established a connection with the grandmother she never knew. "I have a strong admiration and real interest to meet her."

This object is the result of a collaboration with the Al Hemyan project at New York University Abu Dhabi.

Al Hemyan started as a workshop for Emiratis from age 17-25, aiming to explore Emirati personal histories and identity through objects and a meditation on place. Al Hemyan has developed into a larger project dedicated to engaging Emiratis with the stories that live within their photo albums, family heirlooms, oral histories, and rituals and then providing them with the tools to express these narratives in a multi-media context. The project will create a collective digital archive through the contributions of artists, people of influence, everyday citizens, and students.  Unlike existing projects that simply collect and preserve relics from the disappearing local culture, this project focuses on translating elements of cultural heritage into digital projects, public exhibits, and art.