| The peineta is the main complement of the mantilla. The use of the peineta began in the XIX century, in order to raise the mantilla and make it more becoming. However, a smaller peineta can be used alone, like a complement of the Andalusian traditional female dress. | |
| The more reliable backgrounds of the peineta are the Iberian female
headdresses, particularly the mitres and tiaras, which shapes
and applications are similar as the peineta’s. |
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In the beginning, the peinetas (or "peinas", how are traditionally named in Seville), were made in tortoiseshell, light or dark coloured. The traditional models had some different shapes: round, square and rectangular, being the "peina de teja" and "media teja" the more common. Some of them were unadorned, but most of them had artistic fretwork. | |
Actually, the tortoiseshell has been replaced for synthetic materials –especially celluloid- because of the danger of extinction suffered by some kinds of turtles. This new material imitates the authentic tortoiseshell, and permits to decorate them with thin and thick fretwork. |
Nowadays, the peineta’s shape depends of the fashion and personal taste, but the more common are the rectangular with a semicircular finishing and the "teja". The round ones are still applicable, but a little out of fashion. |