Earring
1856-1899 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The traditional jewellery of the Berber tribes of North Africa is almost always made of silver in heavy, clearly-defined shapes. Although individual pieces rarely date back any earlier than the 19th century, the designs are very old, and European observers liked to find traces of Roman or Phoenician influence.
Earrings like this, with a large hoop and decorative end, are found throughout the Maghreb. This design, of a stylised snake’s head, comes from Tunisia. It was worn with a cord connecting the two holes at the ends, which was often decorated with beads, pendants, or a small cylindrical amulet case.
Earrings like this, with a large hoop and decorative end, are found throughout the Maghreb. This design, of a stylised snake’s head, comes from Tunisia. It was worn with a cord connecting the two holes at the ends, which was often decorated with beads, pendants, or a small cylindrical amulet case.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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Materials and techniques | silver |
Brief description | Pair of large silver hoop earrings with one end terminating in a stylised snake's head, Tunisia, 1856-1899. |
Physical description | Pair of silver hoop earrings made of plain wire, each flattened at one end and pierced with a hole. The other end has a lozenge of flat sheet silver attached with a hollow, highly stylised, snake’s head on the front and a hole at the end. |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions |
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Credit line | Bequeathed by Edmond Dresden |
Object history | Accessions register entry: 'Pair of Earrings of silver. / Each formed of a wire of circular section, flattened out and pierced at one end, and at the other terminating in a broad casting resembling a duck's head, of which the beak is pierced. / North African / 319, diam. 2in., 319a, diam. 2 1/8 in.' |
Historical context | 'Tunisian jewellery includes a wide variety of hoops, often very large; the circle, with its range of symbolic meanings, offers numerous possibilities for decoration, which may be geometric, cosmic or zoomorphic, like the serpent's heads seen above, of which Tunisian women are extremely fond.' A World of Earrings, Anne Van Cutsem, Milan: Skira, 2001, p.36 |
Production | Possibly Tunisia |
Summary | The traditional jewellery of the Berber tribes of North Africa is almost always made of silver in heavy, clearly-defined shapes. Although individual pieces rarely date back any earlier than the 19th century, the designs are very old, and European observers liked to find traces of Roman or Phoenician influence. Earrings like this, with a large hoop and decorative end, are found throughout the Maghreb. This design, of a stylised snake’s head, comes from Tunisia. It was worn with a cord connecting the two holes at the ends, which was often decorated with beads, pendants, or a small cylindrical amulet case. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 319&A-1904 |
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Record created | April 8, 2003 |
Record URL |
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