Gallery

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.

Yemeni belt with mysterious coins

Posted by Lynn Ardent on March 27, 2016 at 5:17am

This is a huge Yemeni belt in high grade silver with mysterious symbols. (See more photos in the comments) Featuring coin pendants strung on silver chains with profuse bells. Each coin shape is marked differently. Some have glass stones: red, purple, blue, green, and clear. Some are castings of a 1912 gold sovereign showing St George slaying the dragon. Some have strange markings including cross-hatches, the roman numerals "X B V" and floral shapes. One coin is marked with David's star. I don't know what to make of this, it is definitely Yemeni but the marked coins are fascinating. On Facebook I believe Nada suggested that it could have been commissioned for Ethiopia with the Christian symbolism in St George. Comments are most welcome.

Comments

Lynn Ardent March 27, 2016 at 5:23am

Close ups of the mysterious symbols
Eva Baby March 27, 2016 at 4:48pm

what a gorgeous item1 i am looking forward to the comments regarding possible origin of the coins and bells
Alaa eddine SAGID March 27, 2016 at 5:13pm

coin copies are quite popular across the subregion at least for Thalers of which i have had a bunch copied in various parts of the African horn.... The coin with saint george seems to be a similar process result of copying the English sovereign (i am sure i have seen one before but can't recall where).

All the other symbols do not seem odd athough the latin letters are question raising indeed. A jewish lady from Aden or near the coast could have been in enough western contact to have her initials in latin and so could act a jewish smith in the same conditions to mark his initials. Also not from Ethiopia but from any coastal christian communities on the red sea (Erythrea or Djibouti) but i don't believe it could have came from deep Ethiopia proper.

Recent colonial history with christian settlers in Aden (from any part of the british empire) could be the cause of someone commissionning them or either a british settler himself???!

It is indeed a very interesting ethnographical piece