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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Ethnic-silver.com has a similar piece on her berber page. The hallmark is incised into the body of the piece not suspended by the coin shape. It is very dear , for me. This anklet pictured is very beautiful, but I am wondering is it only created to sell to collectors? Or do Moroccans buy things like this for weddings as well?
The piece on the ethnic jewellery site is an authentic piece.
http://www.ethnic-silver.com/berber/images/ber3418.jpg
I have added a link for comparison.
Unfortunately the faked date using a coin leads me to believe this piece was made to decieve.
Thanks Ayis, Hillary, Patricia, Sarah for all the comments to clear the life of this piece. I´m dissapointed with the dealer in Tiznit, who I trusted at the moment of buying it. I payed a lot of money thinking it was a total treasure. Anyway that´s the way to learn, as this area is newish for me. I will take it back on my next trip. x
May I ask who the dealer was? I've been going there for 12 years now and know most of them quite well. I won't say anything; I'm just curious.
A good idea, Sarah, to illustrate Marlene's piece for comparison. She has not had much success selling it, alas for her. Perhaps people just find it a lot of money to pay, not least at a time like this ... But I agree with your assessment of both pieces. I have already expressed my sympathy for Veronica's lot to her (only saw her piece the other day, and on the other main photo, where I commented). It is fortunate she can return the piece without hassle. I can also understand Hillary wishing to know who the dealer is, as this is so obvious an example of a piece being not "right" yet being presented as such ... It's a dangerous world, but fortunately you are safe, Veronica. Good luck.
Perhaps it is worth mentioning also that these anklets, although it is very hard to buy one (leave alone a really good and authentic one!), are very well known in the literature, and extensively illustrated there, for example in *Bijoux du Maroc: Du Haut Atlas ...*, p. 47 ff. and several other places. In principle, I feel these are among the glories of Moroccan jewellery, but we have never bought one (and a pair would be more desirable, of course) because they are so often either very dear, or dishonest, or indeed both ... We are philosophical about this. The world has so many beautiful things to buy that encyclopedic completeness is not what we are after, so if we cannot get all the Moroccan pieces we would like (like one or a pair of these pieces), we are happy with what we've got instead. We still hope to buy more, as well, but at the moment are lying low, as we bought a lot during the last two years on the back of the crisis, and with a strong Australian dollar. However, matters are deteriorating in Australia as well, and we need to save rather than spend ...