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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Great cuff, love the foggy, mysterious presentation -- very artistic!
Oh Patti, bless you! It`s just that I couldn`t get it any clearer.
Perhaps I should have said it was symbolic of something or other mystical. But it isn`t!
very nice find, congrats!
I remember having unearthed a pair lost in a trunk a couple of years ago in casablanca, but they were made in metal and embellished with faux-niello...but that was common among the tribe when they got impovrished through time and couldnt affort silver and precious materials any more
Ait seghrouchen jewelry is very hard to come by especially silver with genuine niello. even here in France they are virtually absent.
So mesmerizing with the deep niello being the only embellishment used
Thanks, Ayis. Sarah`s great find actually.
These are not silver, just cast white metal. And I`m not sure that I can tell the difference between real and faux niello. Please could you tell me your opinion re this cuff? I would say that here the niello is heavier and thicker than my other Seghrouchen pieces, except for one. But then the whole pattern design is on a larger scale than, for example, the multiple pendants in the necklaces.
I think somewhere on this site you have said that the Seghrouchen were still doing niello work in the 1950s. Does that mean that they were making their jewellery pieces then, too?
I don`t suppose you know what became of the Casablanca cuffs, do you?
Your approval is always appreciated! Thank you.
this cuff is in my opinion old as it bears the little bale on the domes where once small triangle shaped pendants were hanging. This is a feature documented in the early 1930's but is virtually absent from the known bracelets kept in public collections!
The ait seghrouchen were among the last in eastern morocco to make niello survive in any possible way, and they were kee to preserve the traditionnal designs and shapes long after their neghbours and many pther tribes in morocco after independance. until now they still wear the large headbands made from large embossed discs all in metal, no niello and with contemporary dirham cents coins!!! Which is unique in moroccan jewelry!! this tribe is living in a very remote area far from trade routes and after the transaharan trade dwindled they just turned to autarcy to survive, loosing wealth which somehow protected them from the ongoing fashion elsewhere!
As for the pair i told you about, i sure did bargain hard to get then and kept them for a while as they were my first ait seghrouchen jewesl, eventually they ended up in some obscure french home where they are taken care after.....i am still looking for silver ones. AHAHA
Thanks so much, Ayis. That`s super information. I just hope those French people love those cuffs as much as I would.
Good luck with the silver ones! I remember those embossed disk headbands. But I`ve only ever seen photos of them, I think.
Hi Frankie, have a look at this. I posted it almost a year ago.
https://ethnicjewels.ning.com/photo/flared-bracelet2?xg_source=activity
Coincidentally, Suzan, I took a look at it about an hour ago after searching for "niello" on the site. Could it be Serrouchen? I see you don`t think so and I know you`re very well versed in the jewellery of the region.
Do you still have it? Thanks a lot for the input - I love learning more!
It has a strength about it!
Perfectly put, Sarah! you must`ve felt pretty surprised when you found it. How I`d love to find a set of the little pendants to attach to the bales. Mmmmm .... maybe I could borrow some from one of my necklaces - just temporarily.
I must say I do feel fairly well armed when I wear it.
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