Gallery

Comments

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  Lynn Ardent February 16, 2016 at 5:21am

  Here is a photo of the signature:

  

  And the back:

  
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  Thelma February 16, 2016 at 10:18am

  You are lucky, Lynn. It is rare to find a signature and date on a pair of Tekke cuffs. But I've noticed that there are a number of other Tekke pieces which signed and dated at exactly that time.... the beginning of the twentieth century.
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  Joost Daalder February 16, 2016 at 5:30pm

  The quality is outstanding, together with the beauty. Yes, Tekke - as Thelma has already confirmed  - and surely there's no reason to doubt  the date. They have been well looked after, as the condition is wonderful. Well done. You will never regret buying pieces of so high a standard - unless you get too many, for Tekke pieces do tend to be rather uniform. But if it had to be one pair of this kind, I think you've chosen very well.
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  Peter Hoesli February 17, 2016 at 2:14am

  A nice pair Lynn and the signature/date obviously add to the value. Well done. With kind regards. Peter
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  Alaa eddine SAGID February 17, 2016 at 6:46pm

  Indeed very very good quality!

  Two remarks:

  1- Arabic script is used but unfortunately i can not read it since it must be a Turkic family language, possibly Turkmen.

  2-So if i understand well, one bracelet has the date and the second had whatever is that name on it (owner or smith or place of manufacture)...if ever they are separated, each will convey half the information meant to be inscribed intially. I am not aware of seeing a pair with such a feature without having the same info on both bracelets.

  Obviously the inscriptions were not added later (after the date of manufacture) as the smith kept enough non ornamented space for them on purpose.

  The wear is almost non existent BUT one can expect for such a high standard pieces not to be used on a daily basis over the last 100 year of their existence.

  I can not comment on the age proper as i lack knowledge on these turkoman pieces BUT you should not underestimate your ability to assess them accurately and knowing you for some time now, i can see that if you asked the question "ARE THESE AS OLD AS THE DATE" , that means that you may already have a beginning of an answer.
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  Joost Daalder February 17, 2016 at 9:23pm

  While at the front these look relatively unused so that one to an extent wonders whether they might be new, the back seems to me very convincing in all respects - that looks to me like having age. I do think that Alaa raises interesting questions about the markings, and I must confess I cannot understand why those were done the way they were! My curiosity is now whetted.
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  Tesori Orientali February 18, 2016 at 1:52am

  Do we see in turkoman symbolism that is all about fertility..evil eye …etc etc...and all kind of superstitions and beliefs …which is typical of nomadic people …so my answer is that the smith wanted to be together ,,as the client ...,,,that's why didn't sign the other one ..he didn't need to…so a great artist is recognized by his work and not only by his signature …..and why separate them ??..would you ???
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  Tesori Orientali February 18, 2016 at 1:53am

  And btw…great pieces Lynn…make a treasure!! Kisses
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  Alaa eddine SAGID February 18, 2016 at 9:40am

  Absolutely Angelo.
  All this make a sense.
  I would not separate a pair on purpose of course but reality is that the chances of a pair of bracelets beings separated grows exponantially after they leave a workshop.
  Everyone of us here know how it is hard to find a pair of good bracelets and there is a premium on the price when you buy a pair compared to one bracelet ( when you buy for example bu weight in many countries)
  The arabic alphabet name could indeed abide by the surperstition BUT the date is much more meaningful to everybody ( from the jeweller to authorities to the various owners...)
  Again this is an empirical observation nothing to do with my knowledge of turkoman jewelry which is very thin but i do apreciate the beauty of these stunners
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  Thelma February 18, 2016 at 10:37am

  Lynn, here is a photo of another set of signed cuffs from the Schletzers' book Old Silver Jewellery of the Turkoman. They are dated at about the same time - 1907. And the signature reads ' Work of Opca (?) Nazar. The signature is on the edge of the cuff. They do not have exactly the same clasp design but he includes a photo of another set on p.247 with the same clasp design as yours. They are not signed but he dates them as 'last third of the nineteenth century'.