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.
You need to be a member of Adorned Histories to add comments!
Request your copy of our newsletter.
If you would like to receive our newsletter
Comments
I should add that the following six photos are the seller`s. My own camera is broken.
They totally fit with portuguese or dutch (european) designs brought to the island as they similarly did around malacca straits....Either case, it would mean they are quite old
WOW! These are gorgeous, Frankie, the must look wonderful on your ears. Congratulations!
Dear Frankie; Well, I love sparkles from time to time and these earrings just satisfy my cravings! Congratulations. Peter
Many thanks, Peter!
Thanks to Sarah, I was recently able to meet a well-known london dealer of ethnic articles from that area of the world. As it happened, I was wearing a Singhalese necklace. Said dealer remarked "But no-one knows about Sri Lankan jewellery!". Well, we do, don`t we? And a few other noteables on this site!
And I have a feeling that my jargoon collection is not going to end here......
Fabulous earrings. Like you, I am not such a great fan of sparkling jewellery, but these are special!
Congratulations Frankie! This is a wonderful pair, indeed!
I too have a soft spot for rough cut Matara diamonds. Wonder if these were made for Sri Lankans or for the European settlers either for use in-country or as gifts to send back home….The clasp is atypical, if it's for Sri Lankans as earrings would have screw-type closures. However, it could be that the design of the clasp was also inspired by European design of the time for local use. But did European women of the time have pierced ears? Or could the clasp have been a later addition?
Thanks so much, Preethi. I so value your approval especially of all Sri Lankan/ S. Indian items!
I have wondered exactly the same thing as you - for Sri Lankans or for European settlers. I don`t know what resources there are to be able to discover the answer.
I can say that there is a small but significant rough projection at the centre of the back of the top roundel. However that could be a projection in association with the attachment of the central "diamond".
I`m off now to see if I can discover when European women first commonly started to have their ears pierced!
dear Frankie, this looks fantastic and its as you wrote a mystery. i like a lot but more infos than what i see here i cant add. nice mystery as usual :-)