A digital archive showcasing the extensive collection of jewellery and adornment images shared on the former Ethnic Jewels Ning site over the years. These images have significantly enriched discussions on cultural adornment and its global dispersion.
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Very beautiful and I think Ouled Nail, but an unusual style.
Thank you Lynn, I also thought Ouled Nail, but have not seen a similar bracelet and I don't have the right references.
Dear Nada; This looks fantastic! Congratulations. Peter
I can not help much with the origin of this stunning piece, Nada, but would be inclined to agree with Lynn. It's a great piece, for sure!
There is wide array of Oulad nail'ish" bracelets having been produced likely in Algeria but outside an ethnic context.
A couple words to introduce my further details.
The oulad nail women have been under close scrutiny of the new arriving french colonial power, for different reasons , these women were "overrepresented" in colonial photography/postcards production directed to the potential wannabees settlers: they were archaic, exotic, heavily adorned AND had a peculiar reputation of being famous dancers/prostitutes before the arrival of the new french power, thus making them quite ready to be easily accessible and eventually being used as same under the french rule....Matter of fact most of the pictures that we know of the oulad nail are those of actual prostitutes in colonial or local brothels (sorry if i am being a bit rude)...you will find it very useful next time to closely inspect any pictures of these women...you would often see them carrying a cigarette (a consequence of close contacts with "lone" soldiers), sometimes standing at small cubicle houses doors (actual brothels)....ect...
To sum it up....their bracelets were maybe the most famous algerian jewel (and for a reason), they have made of them some kind of an amazon.....and by the time a new colonial smithing tradition was startinging in nearby cities, those square sectioned spikes were very much copied for they were famous through all the postcards...and thus making a reputable and desirable pattern that likely every visitor would like to bring back with him as souvenir...
Of course the wide antique bracelet wre very much unwearable SO more modern contemporary looking bracelets were produced embedding the spikes within an actual shapes and sizes.....
Many would mix late 19th century French/european fashion with the spikes such as in your bracelet here...these early example would also have coral cabs sometimes (mostly late 19th century for coral was being made rarer and more expensive by the beginning of the 20th)...
I have seen many of these. You also have some very special ones with art deco patterns.
So this fashion have been alive for many decades!!
One last remark is that these new production was alive along with the tribal, ethnic shape of course for real oulad nail women!
Se a couple examples from the same era....no definite style...the smiths were quite liberals as they were catering for a non ethnic use...
I have had a picture of the art deco style but the picture is eluding me right now
What a great explanation Alaa.
got it...the one to the bottom right is the one with an almost art deco patterns (i could be mistaken though as i am now thinking of some late 19th century Napoleon the third pattern...)
Beauties all of them. Are the top 2 in your photo of 3 ethnic ones?
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