Silver hinged bracelet with filigree domes, probably Yemen or Egypt, 1850-1880.

Silver band bracelet made from two parts of equal size hinged together, with a pin fastening, now fixed shut. Each part has six filigree domes attached in a row along its front between strips of twisted and beaded wire. The domes are separated by and topped with granules. There is a flat open filigree rosette over the fastening.

Bought from the collection of Gaston de Saint-Maurice (1831-1905) in 1884. Saint-Maurice displayed his extensive art collection at the 1878 Paris exhibition, in a gallery entitled L'Egypte des Khalifes. This was part of an official sequence of displays celebrating the history of Egypt, presented by the Egyptian state at this international event. Saint-Maurice held a position at the Khedival court, and had lived in Cairo in 1868-1878. Following the exhibition, Saint-Maurice offered his collection for sale to the South Kensington Museum (today the V&A).

Bracelets were part of traditional costume in most Islamic cultures, and were always originally worn in matching pairs. This example was described as ‘Modern Egyptian’ when it was acquired by the Museum, with its pair, in 1884, but it is not typical of Egyptian bracelets. It is more likely to have come from the Yemen, which has a strong tradition of filigree work.

947-1884