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
great pieces and great photo!
Where did you buy it ?
Interesting design! They look very shiny and new - are they?
No, not new. It took me almost eight years of cleaning to get them that shiny!
@ait ouakli - I bought them from a dealer online, from memory.
Hermes got inspired from thus bracelets, added some leather
Awesome info! Thank you, ait ouakli.
These are typical recentt (not antique) production from around south west Morocco, mainly from smithing centers around Tiznit and coastal region of the AHL MASSA Tribe!
My opinion is that the curved engraving is the result of the heavy and pretty early influence of ESSAOUIRA / Mogador over the entire region while the raised pyramids are pretty much a legacy of the presaharian influence (fertility symbols of course)
The "AHL MASSA" territorry lies in between the two regions and is culturally bound to both of them, hence the ethnic and cultural mosaic of the tribes living on it!
MASSA is not the name of a tribe, it is a geographical location : river MASSA and anciently a thriving port with the last mention in contemporary history by the 15/16 th century
AHL MASSA is the name of the tribe and means "People/Nation of MASSA" attesting to the deep and ancient ethnic mix of local people's origins!!
Interesting info! Thank you Alaa.