Bangle
1850-1899 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Bracelets were part of the traditional costume in most Islamic cultures, and were always originally worn in matching pairs. Many of those made in Egypt were made of twisted wire, often intertwined in complex patterns, as here.
This example was described as ‘Modern Egyptian’ when it was acquired by the Museum in 1904. The realistic snake’s head and tail, and the catch on the back, are not typical of the traditional designs made for the nomadic Bedouin, and it may have been made for the urban population, or tourists.
This example was described as ‘Modern Egyptian’ when it was acquired by the Museum in 1904. The realistic snake’s head and tail, and the catch on the back, are not typical of the traditional designs made for the nomadic Bedouin, and it may have been made for the urban population, or tourists.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver, braided and incised |
| Brief description | Silver penannular bracelet of multiple braided wire with a snake's head and tail, Egypt, 1850-1899. |
| Physical description | Penannular silver bracelet of triangular section made from a band of multiple braided wire, with the head of a snake at one end in solid metal, and the tail at the other. One eye of the snake is made from a circular mount for a missing stone. There is a small hook attached to the back of the tail which fastens in a ring on the back of the braided section. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Edmond Dresden |
| Object history | Accessions register entry: 'Bracelet of silver. / a flexible cable of treble-twisted wires, of triangular section, terminates in the head and tail of a snake, one eye of which is formed by a raised setting for a stone (missing). The fastening is by a hook at the tip of the tail and a loop below the neck. / Modern Egyptian / Diam (closed), 2 1/2 in.' |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Bracelets were part of the traditional costume in most Islamic cultures, and were always originally worn in matching pairs. Many of those made in Egypt were made of twisted wire, often intertwined in complex patterns, as here. This example was described as ‘Modern Egyptian’ when it was acquired by the Museum in 1904. The realistic snake’s head and tail, and the catch on the back, are not typical of the traditional designs made for the nomadic Bedouin, and it may have been made for the urban population, or tourists. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 298-1904 |
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| Record created | April 8, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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