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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this is very nice indeed! If it is of solid gold, she has half a fortune around her neck!!! Very fine and beautiful work!!
Yes, expensive...which is why I don't own one of these!!! I found her description of the piece interesting...she described the necklace as "Berber"! I would have described this type of necklace as European influenced, but it does have a long tradition here in Tunisia.
Interesting that she described it as Berber. It looks very European influenced to me too. I thought Berber is only Silver and other in type. Let's see what our Berber experts will say.
I too would have thought of this as European-influenced, but also by jewellery further to the east, both int Africa and beyond. The "Berber" influence is hard to see. For one thing Berber jewellery is usually made in silver (considered "pure"), and this looks more "urban". Also, although the Berbers use coins, these discs are only very vaguely reminiscent of them. In some ways I find myself thinking more of the Ottoman/Caucasian world, in this case!
I should add I think it is VERY good - but that is a different matter ...
Thinking further: the piece DOES substantially consist of coins, an perhaps THAT is responsible for the "Berber" association.
What a lovely necklace we have got here.
This is obviously imported techniques but we shall understand why it was called "berber" by the lady.
Many Spaniards, italians and maltese came to the tunisian Eldorado once it was conquered by the french, cities were built and there was great needs of city dwellers in the european sides (not the traditionnal medinas). Actually few french citizens settled in North Africa compared to the sheer numbers of other mediterraneans such as the cited above. They brought traditions from their original countries including smithing technques and trends, the fact is that the very name of this necklace can tell us from where it comes: SHARKA is the local name of what we can consider as "assemblage" necklaces, with pendants, chains, beads, "LIRA" was the italian currency and italian gold coins must have been very common in tunisia to push people put gold coins under the generic name of "LIRA", the same happened in Morocco when french gold coins were heavily imported and led to the adoption og the gold coins necklaces (the GLADA) and where coins were called "LOUIZ" in reference to their french name "LOUIS D'OR".
As for the "berber" attribute, it should be explained through an athropological side. Each time a member of a dominant group (here an arab from Tunisia) can not link a piece to its own material culture, he would relate it to the geographically closest known monority, given that this minority is patronizing a different material culture, here in our case the berber of Tunisia which after having been a majority in the country do form know a very slight minority.
The construction of this necklace is typical of those from south Europe remebering the golden middle ages of new discoveries and trade with the east, almost similar necklaces (specially the filgree) can be found in Spain...
We can surmise that first examples bearing crosss were made for local new european settlers, then through contact they were gradually adopted by local muslim population, thus leading to the addition of local iconography of fishes and surely on other examples of khamsas....
The fact is i am sure that this necklace was first adopted by local tunisian dwellers, then slowly exuded to nearby countryside. Leading that nowadays the fashion of wearing it was lost in cities (or that city dwellers rediscovered their own old material) but was kept alive in remote villages by wealthy ladies among whom the last BERBER villages!!
The filgree work framing the coins was very popular in France as well late 19th century, one can find tens of these on sale on french ebay and other auction sites
Thanks Ayis! As always you are very helpful and informative. Your description of the history of this type is what I suspected, and your explanation of why this lady describes the piece as "Berber" makes perfect sense. I have seen a few of these for sale in gilt silver, but when you see the high quality of this example, the gilt versions cannot compare. I have no plans to buy this type of necklace since it is out of my price range, but I was very happy to have the opportunity to share this photo and learn more about these necklaces.
Ah - very good, Ayis, that is a very informative and helpful explanation. Many thanks. As I have often said, I know next to nothing about Tunisian jewellery so am very keen to learn about it. And everything I DO learn from informative messages like this is extremely interesting. Particularly the stuff about the cultural mixture, the components of which become perfectly clear once explained but which are originally puzzling when you see such a piece for the first time. I had never seen anything like it, and could only guess what influences might be at work. The whole experience of learning about Tunisian jewellery is like opening a new book. It really is to be hoped that Edith will provide something of the sort. You people are lucky in being in a part of the world where you can actually come across this or the terrific bracelets Edith posted!