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.
You need to be a member of Adorned Histories to add comments!
Request your copy of our newsletter.
If you would like to receive our newsletter
Comments
the one at left is again a type, I have never seen before! You have some wonderful unusual pieces!
Thank you Eva. I have enjoyed seeing your Ethiopian jewelry, so today I hunted through my drawers and boxes to gather all these and photograph them. I had forgotten how many I have!
@Toya: your hunting through drawers and boxes was a good idea! I enjoy your pictures!
The one on the right is known as an Axum cross and the left one is supposed to be a Lalibella cross. Lalibella often have 12 wings (representing the 12 desciples) or like this cross with birds. (4 ).And one more shape (no wings or no birds).
@Ingrid, now I can see the birds! Thanks for your identification. Since the birds on this cross are connected with a thin metal thread, I have not realized that they are birds before! (sometimes one Needs someone to "open ones eyes").
It is an unusual, but that is up to the designer. Therefore there were and are many cross collectors because even they are basically the same cross like p.e. Axum cross each jeweller has added so much of his own interpretation to it that they become collectables.