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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Like Cam below, either way, it is a beautiful and interesting piece! Perhaps someone will know.
I have seen it (on old picture postcard) on a woman wearing it as a pendant on a cord on her neck.
I have several of those pendants and am curious to see it as a forehead element. Were did you see the pictures?
here is the old postacard, but it is possible that thependant could have been worn both as pendant and porehead element!!
No, that is different. That are gold ornaments for the forehead from the Bisharia people. See also Azza Fahmy she has pictures of those and also some of silver pendants like the one you own.
I love the wear on this piece. Thank you for the postcard photo too. I haven't seen many old Nubian images.
Just came across this old post "by accident". The Beja people in Eritrea (and Sudan) wear similar pendants (there appear to be various varieties). Also Eritrean Bilen, Kunama and Tigre women seem wear them until today. Harald is right; there are gold versions, too (that look a bit different) butI have so far only seen them - both gold and silver - being worn as a forehead or hair decoration, sometimes almost on top of the head. One of the girls depicted on an Eritrean Nakfa note is also wearing this type of pendant. I would be very interested to learn more about their symbolic meaning(s)...
Thanx Betty, lovely and rare pictures.
When i bought this in south Egypt the seller was not very firm in his affirmation, vaguely citing the non arab tribes of the region mainly NUbian, But i knew this very shape was worn among the beja/Bishariya with small variations and you are confirming that is also visible on tigray women.
The third photo from the top is outstanding as the big silver plaques are very similar to the adornment worn very further to the west by some Zaghawa women ralated to the TUBU confederation and i would bet that they have similar fashion in Kordofan and Darfour in west Sudan....
We could have here a wide distribution of a common shape among people of the northern african horn and through contact and trade towards the people of central sahara
The fact again that this shape is either worn on each side of the head (temporals) and forehead is a common fashion over a vast territorry!!
Enlightning and intriguing as well
Thanx again
Here are a picture of zaghawa women from eastern Chad
Here you have an old postcard of a Bishariyan lady wearing one of those as a pendant (no dangles though).
Soory about that. I hope you can see it now.
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