Necklace
1850-1899 (made)
| Place of origin |
This jewellery was said to have come from West Africa when it was bequeathed to the Museum in 1904. This was probably a misunderstanding, as this piece, and the others associated with it, are part of the traditional jewellery of women from Nubia, particularly the Bishariya. The Bishariya are a nomadic tribe living in the eastern desert south of the Red Sea, in southern Egypt and northern Sudan.
Unlike almost all other Muslim tribal women, the Bishariya preferred their traditional jewellery to be made of gold, although the designs are the same as those of silver jewellery from the same region. Nubia has been renowned for its gold mines since Pharaonic times. The women expected their jewellery to be made from pure gold as far as possible, although it is often beaten very thin.
This necklace, with its mix of delicately patterned gold and cylindrical striped onyx beads, is typical of traditional Nubian jewellery.
Unlike almost all other Muslim tribal women, the Bishariya preferred their traditional jewellery to be made of gold, although the designs are the same as those of silver jewellery from the same region. Nubia has been renowned for its gold mines since Pharaonic times. The women expected their jewellery to be made from pure gold as far as possible, although it is often beaten very thin.
This necklace, with its mix of delicately patterned gold and cylindrical striped onyx beads, is typical of traditional Nubian jewellery.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Rectangular beads of sheet gold alternating with cylindrical onyx beads on a cord of braided red cotton |
| Brief description | Necklace of square gold and cylindrical onyx beads strung on red cotton, Nubia (Egypt or Sudan), 19th century. |
| Physical description | 12 gold beads and 6 onyx beads strung on a red cotton cord, with red and ochre tassels at each end. Each of the gold beads is a shallow hollow square, with two holes for the thread at each side, decorated on the front with a raised geometric pattern of lozenges and rows of small domes. Between every three gold beads are two cylindrical onyx beads, lying horizontally side by side. The onyx beads are cut so that each has a white section in the centre, with brown bands at each end. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Edmond Dresden |
| Summary | This jewellery was said to have come from West Africa when it was bequeathed to the Museum in 1904. This was probably a misunderstanding, as this piece, and the others associated with it, are part of the traditional jewellery of women from Nubia, particularly the Bishariya. The Bishariya are a nomadic tribe living in the eastern desert south of the Red Sea, in southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Unlike almost all other Muslim tribal women, the Bishariya preferred their traditional jewellery to be made of gold, although the designs are the same as those of silver jewellery from the same region. Nubia has been renowned for its gold mines since Pharaonic times. The women expected their jewellery to be made from pure gold as far as possible, although it is often beaten very thin. This necklace, with its mix of delicately patterned gold and cylindrical striped onyx beads, is typical of traditional Nubian jewellery. |
| Bibliographic reference | Enchanted Jewellery of Egypt
Page 134 & 138
Illustrations of modern examples of similar necklaces. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 288-1904 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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