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.

Good Luck!

A selection of small charms. An old piece of coral, a piece of gazelle horn and a tooth. Can anyone identify the tooth for me?
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Comments

  • Since I have seen old silver charms shaped like dogs (I am presuming as a protective amulet), I am supposing that the tooth could be canine.  Can anyone tell me?

  • edith. coral, gazelle but dog i m not sure.if it is from north africa, then not dog at all

  • Thanks Ait...what would you guess this tooth is from?  I have seen a number of these made from bone carved into horn/tooth shape, but this is first I am certain is actual tooth.  I am assuming it is from north Africa.

  • What size is the whitish teeth, is it chipped at the end? It is definite no dog those look different. It might be wild boar but that also would that be strange in a Moslem country. Although in Indonesia they wear boar tooth and they are Moslims too.  It can be a chip (end chip) of a tooth.

    Do you have a photo with more resolution of it of both sides?

    This I bought as a dog tooth amulet in Oman , total length 3,8 mm. But like the suggestion of Ait Ouakli a dog would be strange so I think it might be a lynx tooth. Below I also put a photo of dogs tooth.

    2505991895?profile=RESIZE_320x320

      

    2505992355?profile=RESIZE_320x320these are dogtooth 3cm long from PNG

     

  • for me , it looks like a vegetarian animal. coold be a lamb or another domestical. if it is not northafrica or islamic country, maybe a chacal or fox

  • this is definetely a wild boar's tusk chunk.

    Very popular in north Africa and many islamic countries

    Here is a massive example probably coming from india or pakistan

    2505991876?profile=original

  • Those are hypo tooth Ayis. With boar tooth at the inside?

  • i was most startled  of their sheer size, but since there is some arabic text on the metal part (obviously for talismanic reasons) i tought of indian subcontinent as a probable origin , but now you are right the biggest should be hippo teeth and since there are only hippos in Africa, i should think about another origin: Sudan? east africa?or an import to the arab world to make a speciafic amulet?

    Anyway, i find it very picturesque

    Still, wild boar's tusks are widely used in Morocco where i have previously found them mounted on silver for use as amulets

  • edith. the black one is what you wrote, gazelle, i have semilar, white one i m not sure.

  • Wow!  Thanks to everyone for an interesting discussion!  Sorry, I should have posted the length of the tooth (6cm incl. silver mount).  So, Ayis...based upon the size and shape you think this is wild boar?  THAT would be much more interesting than dog!  I am assuming the symbolism of the talisman was a reference to the strength and aggressive nature of the wild boar...would that be correct?

    As far as gazelle, this is what the seller told me the brown one was, although I would not be surprised if someone told me it was something more domestic trying to be passed-off as gazelle.  It is definitely some kind of horn.

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