Kamseh

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.

Kamseh

Posted by Edith D on September 20, 2011 at 3:12pm

This Libyan as per the hallmarks on front, probably from a chain to connect fibule.

Comments

Alaa eddine SAGID September 22, 2011 at 8:05pm

Nice khamsa Edith.

I should add that this is made in Tripoli in Lybia, perhaps you can find a hallmark on the back.

I have a similar one and it was purchased in Libya.

Anyway jewelry in SouthTunisia and west Libya are quite similar
Edith D September 22, 2011 at 9:00pm

The hallmark is on front and you can see it in the photo (a bit faint) on either side of the crescent.
Alaa eddine SAGID September 22, 2011 at 9:42pm

oh yes indeed.

these are hallmarks of the city of tripoli in Libya
Edith D September 22, 2011 at 10:19pm

Cool! Thanks for the info.
Edith D September 22, 2011 at 10:27pm

Ayis, I've changed my description. This new info will help me identify the Libyan pieces in the silver shops. I suspect that there are going to be more Libyan pieces now in the old medina since we have masses of refugees at the moment in Tunis. I have seen some bracelets recently that are Libyan, but most of them appear to be with machine stamped patterns. Do you know how long these machine stamped things have been in production?
Alaa eddine SAGID September 23, 2011 at 5:57am

You know Chantal there is a big problem regarding the jewelry made in TRIPOLI as it is obvious that the actual border between TUNISIA and LIBYA is not an ethnic border and virtually south tunisian jewelry is similar to that of Tripolitania.

The fact is TRIPOLI was the biggest metropolis influencing even jewelry as far as JERBA and it used to export a lot of jewelry to TUNISIA.

So no wonder some jewelry found in tunisia bear tripoli hallmarks and they should be considered as Tunisian.

In the case of this khamsa the biggest feature in my opinion would be the crescent and the star and this i have found in pendants specific to Libya and found nowhere else in tunisian reference books. That is why i proposed Libya as the origin place.

Machine stamped bracelets should come from Tripoli and not Tunisia but i can not help you regarding the date of introduction

Cheers

Gallery

Kamseh

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