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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Great pieces.
We often focus on the final product and overlook the wealth of tools used to make wonderful jewels
Hi Anjali, I know that the jewelers in Ethiopia did hide their malls so that nobody else can use them to protects their own market. I had a case myself the jeweler passed away and their relatives couldn't find the mall for the beads he was making for me . So I imagine these beautiful designs like yours must have been heavily guarded. Is the material bronze? Perhaps a museum may be a good buyer.
Hi Ingrid. That's interesting. It makes sense that the designer/creator would want to protect his designs. I read just recently that sometimes the maker would damage a stamp to prevent it being used by someone else and wonder if that is why there are two places on the octagonal piece, one on top and one on the bottom where it looks like the metal has been damaged.
Yes, I think they're bronze. There a little verdigris on the left hand side of the rectangular piece. I just thought they were beautiful and interesting so I bought them. There is something precious about them. Maybe as Alaa says, we often don't always think of the tools used to make beautiful work.
Thank you for the suggestion about museums. I'll have to look into that.
I haven't heard the term "mall" before. What language is that? And I'm sorry your jeweler passed away and the relatives couldn't help. Did you ever resolve that problem in some way?
So points do add up. Now Anjal you caught me there on my mix-up of languages. in dutch it is mal and in english mold. So I used a mixture. I am am known for that and my english friends always have a good laugh about it. Sorry. And no it wasn.t re sovled. They managed to make one one of the shapes but there were three . So I had to leave it and found afterwards another one who made beautiful beads but not the same shape, but pretty and I adjusted myself to make my jewelry with the new shaped beads. Now to make new silver beads in Ethiopia it is pretty expensive per gr..
Oh, I see. Now you've taught me a Dutch word, that's great! mal = mold. I know what you mean about mixing up languages. I'm not fluent in either Spanish or French, but when I do speak Spanish, I wind up throwing in French words by mistake. :>)
It turns out that there is someone at the Metropolitan Museum of Art who is the person for small things so if I can reach her, I'll send her pictures of the stamps. If it doesn't work out, it's OK. Maybe I will make them into pendants at some point.
That's interesting about the beads. If you have a picture of the new beads, I'd be interested to see them, but don't go to any trouble if you don't.
Dear Anjali; Ingrid is right, the museums will surely be interested in such pieces. It is always nice to display the final product together with the history of making the same. Both examples are very beautiful and I like them a lot. But then, I have to concentrate on my jewelry only as my collection starts to build up and takes a volume which is harder and harder to manage, especially since I am not always at my home. By the way, the Quai Branly Museum in Paris might be interested in these. They have a large collection of ethnic jewelry. Currently, they are collecting items from Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan (they buy from the same source as I but to my good luck, I am always around and get to see many items before they are being snapped away by others...). Good luck with selling these beauties. Peter
Dear Anjali, I will make a picture of the beads this week-end. @Peter, I suppose that makes your work places double liked by you. Being on the spot and laying good intern contacts. Great. So much more fun as memories do than stick with the pieces and you can add their history knowledge with your experience and comparing. I know!! This goes for all of us who are collecting from those position.
Dear Peter,
Thank you so much for suggesting the Qaui Branly Museum. I had never heard of it and they have so many wonderful things! I told a South African friend of mine in New York and we're both enjoying the online images. I sent the museum an email about the pieces. I will post here if I hear from them. As Ingrid says, it sounds like you have an interesting time with your collecting - collecting stories as well as treasures. The stories and memories attached to the pieces are so much a part of their charm.