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.

CIMG0085Silver guilded sword decoration,Ethiopia.

This is a silver guilded sword decoration for the nobility of Ethiopia. This piece was locallly made with a band (not on the foto) to be put on the bottom part of the sword. These were worn when the nobilities were called on parade for their emperor. Their horses were decorated as well as themselves with a silverband on leather and tassles and sometimes a lions mane to top it of.
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  • Very nice! Do you also have pictures of horse decorations? There is so little to be found on horse and other animals adornments.

  • Hi Harald, look at my photos, there is one halter (guilded) with a set of anklets. That is one of them. I have one other one, will show you another time.  Mostly the horses of the Oromo people are mostly decorated with especial red(in color) wool on leather. This silver decoration is or was for the nobility and lots of these have been melted down. Emperor Menelik II (Emperor before Haile Selassie) was often protrayed on his horse with his and horse matching decorated.

  • Really stupid, I forgot about that one! I did not know so colorful decorations with silver work for a horse. In Egypt you had the beautiful silver decorations for the "dancing horses" in the beginning of last century. And in India, Turkmenistan etc. lots of silver for animals but not as fine as yours. What I have seen so far is more bold jewelry for animals and of course the refined silver head-wear for horses from India.

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