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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I like your bracelet Berberia! I can not help you identify it. It does ring a bell though but still can not place this.
Beautiful patina. "The World of Bracelets" puts such bracelets down as Uzbek.
Thank you very much both, Akkie and Harald. Yes, it is certainly a superb bracelet. I wish you could feel its touch and its awesome weight considering the size.
Soory, I meant Preethi ...
Splendid. very substantial and great patina. Looks very smooth.....
I work in Central Asia. It is very classically Uzbek.Often they are inlaid with turquoise. Most bracelets for sale the motifs have been worn flat and all the inlay has been lost.
This style of bracelet has ended up being described as Kazakh, Khirghiz and Uzbek, depending upon which curator describes it and as well which museum collection it has been found in. There could have been several groups wearing it but the design to me says more Kazakh / Khirghiz groups and in these books more of this design is found. However I own a pair with enameling work on it so some one must have ordered this work from the Russian Caucasian smiths for use in Uzbekistan of a design used by others?
Thank you very much, Linda, for all your input.
Usually in Central Asia if a bracelet is enameled it is Uzbek or made for the Uzbek market. Kazak work is usually more geometrical not floral. Uzbek work seems more sophisticated with geometric and floral motifs in their jewelry. I suspect it is influenced by Persian art. During the Soviet years a lot of Soviet jewelry was made for the Central Asian market.
What you say is true for the more typical of items but in several Russian books on Kazakh jewelry that I have there are enameling done on pieces. Several early bridals and other items like belts have multi colored and cloisone style enameling. In certain districts the style of Kazakh is completely different from what people think of as Kazakh. Also the country is very large and it's borders touch on many different neighboring distinct regional groups. There is a very primitive style with enameling which is from the Kzyl Orda region, then there is a style or type of necklace that is very similar to Khirghiz pieces called a Sholpy, from Kokchetav region with engraving and inset stones or glass , the Chimkent region produces very simple items with set stones surrounded by other smaller stones , In the Aktyubinsk region they use bosses done with granulation built up like that of pieces that are Caucasian. The region that this bracelet would be from if Kazakh would be Kzyl Orda region. The style of my bracelets is the same format seen in several base countries but the style of the enameling was done not in Uzbekistan but outside , most likely by Russians working outside for commissions.
The typical style of Kazakh pieces people think of normally with small granulation come from western Kazakh area , particularly Mangyshlak region.