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 distinctive and rare combination of items. I wish that I can help on this.. A valuable necklace Lynn
Unfortunately I cannot help, Lynn. It is a very appealing necklace - love it very much!
This is a stunning, most impressive complete, old and very rare Algerian necklace.
often labelled as kabyle without further details, i do think it rather comes from "petite kabylie" subregion...the part of the kabyle people who do not use enamel on their jewelry.
It is called "tazlagt umm lherz" which following and transliterated translation could be understood as : Strung elements necklace with prayer /talisman holder.
I have had and seen many like these, often lacking the holders and sometimes with the addition of strung cloves.
It is definetely an old adornment from the region and might have very well been more widespread: i.e. outside of the proper kabyle areas.
It often comes with older ottoman and spanish coins which were the legal mint for international trade and thus leading to many being copied for the sake of trade (as fake currency) or more particulary faked to be solely used on jewelry for matter of ostentation...the use of the french coin can not allow us for sure to date it as it seems that the secondary coins hanging from the necklace body are a further and later addition (see difference in stringing material)....which is not odd at all, as these adornment would see their size double or go through a sharp diet depending on the owner's wealth and ability to save money!
A very good find and most striking as it is complete and large.
Congratulations Lynn
Dear Lynn; I am not an expert in Algerian jewelry but this looks absolutely GORGEOUS! Congratulations! Peter
Wow, great info Alaa!
Seems like you are having fantastic jewellery-karma at the moment, Lynn :-))
What a wonderful writeup Alaa! Thank you SO much for generously sharing your knowledge! I am enchanted with this necklace and I will treasure knowing the origin of it. I particularly like your description of jewelry enlarging vs. going on a diet. :) The coins on the main body of the necklace are dated 1737 & 1739 (the 2 Reals) and 1824 & 1829 (Ottoman coins, I believe Budjus from Mahmud II.)
Thank you for your kind comments Betty, Peter, and Mustafa. Yes Betty, I am having some really good luck lately, the best luck out of estate sales in the United States. This necklace came from a Connecticut estate from a woman who was a collector.
aala added some important infos. cloves are usualy used as bundel the the "tazlaght or azlagh" necklaces. the bundels of cloves are symbol for the village or tribe specialy in the kabylie and mzab
for the ottoman coins ( called soltani ) mentienned or as fakes. they are indeed. i recognised some. they were used for jewelry ( one variete of ) and other veriete was as mentienned as a currency . the most important is: the ottoman governement was taking taxes from all the empire.only some areas i the kabylie not.even french colonie had problems in the area but other side of the mountains chaine.
the region starts from the midle of the djurdjura mountains until the other side mediteranean side.
beni yenni is in the top and was the central place for that fake coins. th epieces are not less value, its actualy the opposite, they are more liked as the real ones now because they are a part of history and rebellion
Ait, thank you for sharing these details. That is so interesting to know that double-sided replicas were minted as a currency of resistance and ornament! I really appreciate your comments.
How wonderful to see the complete necklace Lynn! Thanks for sharing. I have a similar one, which came from Algeria to Burkina Faso via Niger. Mine has cloves, but not the larger amulet pendants. A photo of mine is at https://ethnicjewels.ning.com/photo/algerian-coin-necklace?context=user.
Your necklace is gorgeous Preethi! Thank you for linking to it, I greatly enjoyed admiring it and reading the discussion in the comments. These are very appealing pieces.
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