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
very nice and interesting to know the story of it.
Nice pair! I do like the earrings from Tamil Nadu district! Very special, not like other Indian earrings at all! Very "modern" designs, they look cubistic (and so do the pampadams of the region too ).
A pity that some one put 2 extra balls to each earring, on the bottom and in the middle (on the photo the earrings are upside down)
May be you should consider to take off the added balls, the modern hooks and the wire.
Hi Harald, all the elements you mention were added by the sellers to make it more marketable. I have to admit I'm quite happy with the hook on top, which allows me to wear the earring, and I did debate having the others removed. But that would have left holes in the earring itself however, and more work would be needed to cover those up. There was a rather tacky enamelled element hanging from the loop at the bottom - I had that removed, but removing the loop itself is another matter. It'll have to stay as is for now.
So the dealers do this on purpose. How sad that is. My daughter bought a pair of andi bhaden kathija gold earrings worn in the Cochin devision (Kerala). She did no know at the time she bought them that the gold smith-dealer had taken of the upper part and soldered a thin wire on the edges for wearing by Western woman. We thought this very sad. Because they are now no longer items for collecting.
I know meanings differ about these cases, a lot of people want to wear these old earrings but collectors want them in their original state.
Considering the price and demand for gold in India, it's not surprising that sellers modify old jewels to make them appealing to a wider segment of people. In fact, I was happy to find any old ones at all, in whatever modified condition. Typically, gold is melted down to make newer designs, and most Indians will at some point have given in older jewels to have something new made.
Did your daughter find the kathija in Kerala? I love the design of those.
Yes she did.
I do understand those dealers they have to earn their living. In Oman I saw the same happening. The woman sell their old jewelry to the dealers and buy new gold jewelry which they like much more now a days. (This is the cheap new gold jewelry made in India and sold at the souks). I suppose those lady's do not know what prices the dealers make for these old pieces. Prices are now extremely high for the old stuff.
Preethi. my mother has 2 belts. one is verry old, one arround 30 years . i write you exactly what she said to me : you have friends who are silversmith, can you please take thoes belts and aske them to make us some barcelets and necklaces for you sisters ? i paye for the work.
i answered: mother, i give you fine silver, i have enough. take it and go to ( friend ) you chose what you want.
my mother: yours is expensive, i heard that silver got verry high. when i bought the belts, the silver was verry cheap. why loosing money . she laughts and said: what kind of business you are doing ? you loose more than you win
me: with time, the old jewelry gets expensive. it is verry are now and people are collecting what old and nice.
my mother : where. in europe ?
me: yes and in america and behind america . verry far
my mother: we were used to live in villages in mountains. how can they know our jewelry ??
just that you know, my mother is kabyl jewelry encyclopedia
Ait, lovely story (as usual). Have you explained to your mother the internet and the ebay antique ethnographic section available not just to Europe and America but to the whole world?
yes i did it after telling her 1000 times to hide them and give them nobody. specialy a cousin living in france, he plays naif and goes to my mother take from her old items she has or i buy and keep at home
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