Gallery

Comments

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  Alaa eddine SAGID August 14, 2011 at 2:41pm

  I have a totally similar one and they do come from south western algerian oases deep in the sahara mountains.

  Lately they havealso been quite popular among the northern hoggar tuaregs.

   

  These bracelets were totally absent in europe and the USA until they have been brought to morocco by smugglers from algeria along with many other scarce and unfamiliar jewelry such as the non enameled algerian worm holes fibulas

   

  I bet you bought yours in Morocco?

   

  Nice old bracelet
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  Alaa eddine SAGID August 14, 2011 at 2:42pm

  i meant sahara desert and not mountains!

   
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  Joost Daalder August 14, 2011 at 9:56pm

  I do like this type - very sculptural.
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  HALTER August 14, 2011 at 11:18pm

  I like this kind of "defense" bracelet or" bracelet de protection "
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  Linda Pastorino August 14, 2011 at 11:50pm

  I don't know enough about Algerian jewelry. I own one book on enameled work only. There must be many other types.  Thanks for the information.  I got this from a friend who lives in Morocco. I only saw one for sale there and it was very expensive. I asumed it was like the others with enameling which are also usually expensive. I had the opportunity to buy from friends of mine who live there, two very beautiful examples but again they were very expesnive so I did not but one was  quite large and had very beautiful enameled work.
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  Joost Daalder August 15, 2011 at 2:38am

  Yes, spikes, in this culture as in many others, are indeed used for defense, supposedly both symbolically and literally.
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  Linda Pastorino August 15, 2011 at 5:28am

  the bracelets that intrigue me the most are the ones used by the Haite Nail (not sure from memory if I'm correctly spelling it) I have very old photos showing these incredible pieces. I had a wimpy one once I got in Paris and would love to find one that had great silver and long studs.  I thnk these are incredible.
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  Joost Daalder August 15, 2011 at 6:33am

  The "architecture" of this is really very, very good. And it appears to be in fine condition also.
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  Patricia Deany August 15, 2011 at 7:56am

  I heard that the  spikes were actually little containers for cotton wool dipped in scent -- kind of perfume carriers. The only ones I have seen have enamel on them. Of course, this may be totally wrong.
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  Joost Daalder August 15, 2011 at 8:31am

  Patricia, - One thing would no exclude another; indeed, dual or multiple functions are frequent on tribal art objects. What I cannot see, however, is how these spikes would have been filled. Surely there would have to be an opening allowing someone to place the cotton wool into the container. Maybe Linda should have a look! An intriguing thought. A problem is that because these pieces came out to western collectors so late, there does not seem to be much documentation on them. But they are good artefacts, and the more we can learn about them the better!