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
So lovely, Eva. They must bring a lot of pleasure. And grouped together like this, they look stunning. Where does the cord come from? Is it locally bought in Switzerland?
@thank you Thelma. The cords are actually bought in Switzerland, they are black leather and one is similar to wool-thread . I have also some from Mali, but their endings are too thick to pass through the bails. To the the ones I wear frequently I also attached a modern lock, because it is easier to open and Close it that way.
This looks a lively collection Eva, thank you for mentioning me again. there are some lovely telsums amongst them the third from left on the top is a very new one for me. beautiful little treasure. The far right one, on top, not too many about. So also the 4th from the right (bottom string, very few. A real ethnic collection, bringing different parts of the middle and northern Ethiopia together. Like Eritrea,(country) Tigrai, Wollo, Gondar and a bit of Shoa and Argobba. Your picture looks again so sharp and clear and the nice contrasting background, that must be the painter in you.
gr. Ingrid.
@Dear Ingrid, thank you for your comment and Information, which is highly appreciated. Yes,I love to take nice photos, it is another hobby of mine.......sometimes I concentrate more on animal photogaphy (especially wildcats)..... My favourites are all those with Granulation or very fine decoration (yours and the Tigray ones).I wear them alternatively......The ones you mention as rather rare were bought from a German seller who travels regularly to Ethiopia (my main source for the hairpins, but he has not offered any hairpins recently.....seems hard to find). He also travels to the Niger, lately not many items from Ethiopia).
The reason that Ethopian items are scares is because the government is stepping down on all kind of old artifacts. It always was an issue that one needed museum permission etc. and that seem so be a hotpoint at the moment. So I understand that many dealers are avoiding Ethiopia now.
A lovely and varied collection, Eva!
It's also an inspiration for me to finally take the time and string my collection of odd telsum rather than have them lying in a box...
@ Ingrid: I am not sure if the government of Ethiopia is really efficent in stopping people taking old jewellery out of the country. Someone I know regularly travels there and buys a lot of old beads and silver pieces as well as old wooden handcrafted items.
I think in Ethiopia they are mostly worried about the export of church artefacts, icons and gold jewellery. All the same, I guess it's an issue worth discussing whether a "sell-out" of cultural artefact should not prevented (be it in Ethiopia or elsewhere). As much as I regret bans on exporting tribal jewellery as a collector, I still believe that some control should be exercised to ensure that culturally important artefacts remain in the country.
Just some thoughts - I know it's complex...
@thank you both, Ingrid and Betty, for the Information and thouhghts about governmental issues on exporting old ethnic jewellery. It is certainly worth to follow up this subject. I understand both - the Ethiopian govenment not wanting their cultural objects being exported out of the Country, and the collectors wanting them........one could discuss endlessly on this subject. I wonder what will result resp. how this goes on.