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.

Elderly relative

From northern Iran. Despite the repairs and replacements, the result of a long and eventful life, this old dome-shaped Yomud button remains intact and those special translucent turquoise glass beads continue to shine. The figure 12 is important here reflecting the passage of time.
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Comments

  • What a beauty, Thelma!. It is gorgeous.

  • There is something interesting about this button. Around the dome, at the bottom, there are twelve small plates  and each  bears a ram's head, symbolising an ancestor or guardian ... and on the dome 12 more guardian symbols, making this a very protective button

  • Thanks Marc. I've been looking at your necklaces too, thinking how beautiful they are for summer.

  • This is a beauty. I have enjoyed seeing all of your buttons. I think collecting a certain thing for a long time gives a deep understanding and appreciation for the beauty of the object. How many buttons  do you have?

  • Thanks Toya. Yes, I agree. The more one examines, the greater the insights. You must also feel that with your khamsas. We are so fortunate to have so many people on this site with different experiences who are happy to share their insights about different objects. My buttons, and my insights, are relatively limited :)). The more I consider these buttons, the more I realise how little is known about them and what they stand for.

  • So beautiful, Thelma. Love the turquoise coloured beads and the finely executed ram's heads. I am a great fan of your buttons and the (no so limited ;-) insights you share with us).

  • Gorgeous find, Thelma!  Congratulations.  Cannot wait to see your items published along with the cultural knowledge you have acquired.  I really admire the way you build your collection. 

    Anna

  • Thanks Anna and thanks Betty. But I think there is something odd about this button.... so many ancestor symbols. The Yomuds usually seem to be obsessed by time, hence the numbers of beads on their buttons. It is the Tekke who are keen on ancestor symbols and place so many rams heads on their pieces. There must be an interesting back story here ... where Yomud and Tekke come together .. a Yomud button with Tekke influences ... perhaps...

  • Thelma. as usual. this is amazing colectors/museum piece

    when can we buy your book ??

  • Thelma, I believe that I learned from the Schetzer book that so long as the ancestor symbols occur in numbers divisible by 4, the work is in the prescribed tradition.  In fact, occasionally a silversmith will add 1 extra symbol or set of symbols to represent the coming generation, not just the ancestors.  The piece above departs from tradition only in the number of turquoise? cabochons around the central carnelian.  Everything else appears to be sets of 12.  

    It certainly commemorates the ancestors quite thoroughly and beautifully.  The Western Yomud and a great part of the Tekke both settled in what became Afghanistan, I believe in the Eastern  part.  There were Turkmen merchants selling Turkoman textiles and jewelry in Kabul in very nice stores when I live there long ago.

    Anna

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