Not currently on display at the V&A

Earrings

Earring
1850-1899 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Earrings, in a wide variety of designs, were worn by women throughout the Islamic world. Plain heavy silver ones, like these, are typical of the traditional jewellery worn by the nomadic peoples of the Sahara. The polyhedral end, made from a cube with the corners cut off, is often found on bracelets and anklets as well as earrings, and is one of the most distinctive aspects of the jewellery worn on the southern edges of the Sahara, from the Red Sea to the Atlantic.

These were described as ‘Modern Egyptian’ when they were acquired by the Museum in 1904, and probably come from the extreme south of the country or the Sudan.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Earring
  • Earring
TitleEarrings (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Silver
Brief description
Two silver hoop earrings with polyhedral terminals, Egypt, 1850-1899.
Dimensions
  • Width: 3.7cm
Credit line
Bequeathed by Edmond Dresden
Object history
Accessions register entry: 'Two rings of silver. / Penannular, one end terminating in a polyhedral knob, in 268a this is stamped on three sides with a small rosette, while the other end is notched. / Modern Egyptian / Each, diam. 1 7/16in.'
Summary
Earrings, in a wide variety of designs, were worn by women throughout the Islamic world. Plain heavy silver ones, like these, are typical of the traditional jewellery worn by the nomadic peoples of the Sahara. The polyhedral end, made from a cube with the corners cut off, is often found on bracelets and anklets as well as earrings, and is one of the most distinctive aspects of the jewellery worn on the southern edges of the Sahara, from the Red Sea to the Atlantic.

These were described as ‘Modern Egyptian’ when they were acquired by the Museum in 1904, and probably come from the extreme south of the country or the Sudan.
Collection
Accession number
268&A-1904

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Record createdApril 8, 2003
Record URL
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