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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Dear Joost; This is gorgeous to say the least! I had a look at a similar unit. However, I have a question. The unit, which I was looking at was featuring three rows of barking deer (or muntjac) teeth sewed on a hemp cloth cushion, brass coils, two half cockle shells, Burmese coins, red glass and tamarind seeds beads. It looks very similar to yours but it features as well the tamarind seed beads and Burmese coins along the red beads. The barking deer teeth look basically the same as the Pangolin claws on yours. But I believe that the teeth are larger and therefore, there are only three rows of it. It is very voluminous though. Was this kind of sash made in different versions, hence, with claws or teeth? I appreciate your enlightenment.
Hi Peter, - I cannot remember seeing one as elaborate as you are describing, but I see no reason why it would not be perfectly OK, from what you mention. The main question which I think emerges for you is: was this kind of sash exclusively made using pangolin teeth? I feel I can certainly give an answer to that, which is NO. In *Ethnic Jewellery and Adornment* (on its way to you), we illustrate on p. 234 a simpler version of the piece I have posted here, which consists purely of teeth and cotton cloth, from Kachin State, Burma. Very possibly that simple piece was also worn as a bandolier or sash across the body - in any case, its structure is very similar. The key point I want to make is that the teeth in that case are those of the water-buffalo (very distinctly so). So certainly similar pieces were made using different teeth or claws. The same page also illustrates another similar piece (which I had in mind before) that consists of cloth with very old pangolin teeth. The tentative conclusions I would draw are that (1) all these pieces come from much the same area and have much the same basic shape and probably purpose; (2) they can be simple or quite elaborate; and (3) they can be made of teeth or claws. A picture of yours would certainly be interesting. The one I have posted here is probably less complex and "rich" than yours, but still a fairly "ornate" example, and *very* similar to the one that Linda has posted during the last 20 hours or so. Yours sounds as though it could be a yet more "up market" version of an object that seems to have ranged from something very simple to something quite profuse, presumably dependent on the status/purse of the owner.