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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Comments
would welcome comments on these........
Sx
Difficult to tell by the photos, but these look like the vintage pieces that were made to look old. The silver wirework looks too uniformly worn (even in the areas where it would have gotten far less wear). I must say that the coral cabs look nice and the bezels older, but this wear can be imitated too. The enamel colors look like the newer versions coming out of Tiznit. Also, the bracelets look too rough on the inside. To get this amount of outer wear, the inside should be far more worn and smooth-looking. The safety chain that hold the pin looks quite new, though these were often replaced from my experience. I say vintage, and newer vintage at that, probably not made for traditional use, but for the collector's market. More photos would certainly be a big help.
There is not a single evidence in all of my researches that worm holes technique has been used for anything else than fibulas!!
Complete forgeries in my opinion:
Coral cabochons???
Enamel is rough and very bold
But these should have been made by a very skilled smith, diferent thoug from the ones i saw in eassaouira and marrakech some years ago, where they only used a couple of glass cabachons and not to many enamel (only on the hinge sustem and the opening)
I really feel ashamed, since the commissioner wich is never the smith could have encouraged this last remaining person mastering the technique to invent new things such as pendants and brooches for the tourist market in the way it is done in turkey for example where old techniques are used to create new stuff wich is labelled as such.
One is also wondering if the forges worm hole fibulas i see far and between come from the same workshop?
the commissioner wanted to strongly lure the potential amateur buyer by adding up many sought after details: enamel, coral and worm hole technique.
Many arguments to back up the undoubtfully hefty asking price
This means that the wormhole technique has survived? At least until the time that this piece was made? ....and yes the price was very very hefty!
the enameled appliques are of poor quality Sarah. A smith that masters worm hole technique would be a genious in his enamel work. top high end silversmithing is showy and it is not the case here.
Although there are some skills that have been employed here.
My guess is that the person who made this is no longer alive, cuz the enamel work is reminescent to some vintage work ( but not for the locals, made to be sold as antiques)
The coral cabachons are new addition?
Anyway i can't think of the possibility that the technique survived without anyone being able to learn it and use it on a wide scale.
These bracelets of maybe a total of haf a dozen to a dozen, should be considered as one shots by a single artist wich was patient and skilled enough to replicate the technique
With all due respect, I think it is difficult from this picture to ascertain what the enamel work looks like whatsoever. This is not to say that I know all about these pieces, I do not, but again I think there has to be a better and more detailed picture offered before we jump to conclusions. What would lead me to believe a later origin than nineteenth century would be the cabochons. There have been two other bracelets in this style discussed on this board. One of them is mine, one, I believe, may belong to Toya -- and there have been some closeups of these bracelets overall pattern which differs significantly from the original wormhole technique. So maybe these are not old, old, but certainly have some age and some expertise behind them. They are not precisely wormhole technique as the grid does differ.
Very well patti. so what we should figure out is if these were made to fetch the local market and a traditionnal use? or were they meant to be sold as forgeries and lure a potential collector?
Later we can discuss leisurely the technique through other detailed photos and talk about the skills involved and the quality of each detail. Then of course we can digress on a potential age wich is in my opinion a side opinion
Sorry i meant to say that the age is in my opinion a secondary issue
Ok, whatever you want, you know more than I do. Just suggesting this is a bad picture and we can't see things very clearly. WIll not make any comments about it again. I have no opinion whatsoever.
sorry patti never meant to be rude or agressiv in my comment. your opinion is more than welcome and greatly apreciated.
You have enough expertise and experience to be able to enlighten my last questions on the issue of wich market these bracelets were made for.
Would love to have your opinion on the subject and please do not feel offended, my english lacks a lot of vocabulary and grammar nuances.
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