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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Comments
I love the wear and patina on this bead.
Dear Betty, I cannot say anything about this bead, I do have a couple of them or at least one, and I do not quite remember where I got it from either Ethiopia or an Afghan trader in Amsterdam. I will have to look to find it or them and touch them and may recall, but even than I do not know anything about the way it is or was used. from your pictures you maybe very well correct. I know other rings, I will show tomorrow which are from the Jimma area and kept the strings of Jimma beads in place.
Gr. Ingrid. I do like the bead with its high silver glow and it battered story to tell. They for sure didn.t reach Addis market except for an odd lost one. Maybe more to morrow.
Thanks for the picture and your comment, Peter. You are right. It is well possible that these beads come from Oman or somewhere on the Arab peninsular. Only the treatment of the beads edges seems a bit different... This particular piece was actually acquired in Harrar - if I remember correctly. The only documentation of its use I could find is that shown below the second picture. It's Eritrean women wearing them as a hair ornament. However, these ladies also wear Nubian and Sudanese jewellery and bracelets that would also been worn by the Rashaida as there is a lot of trade going on with the coast...
Peter and Betty, I think that Peter's photo shows its real origin. Because like I wrote earlier, I have never seen it used in Ethiopia except on the photo you placed Betty, which I found very fascinating. And as I have gotten the beads via the Afghan trader it sound sensible that its origin is in Oman and traded to different trade routes. How one simple bead can tell its story.
Thank you Peter and Betty.