Fibula
1850-1900 (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.
The use of ring brooches to fasten women’s traditional clothing is universal across the region and dates back to late Roman times. Most of these brooches are penannular in shape, like this one, with all the decoration lavished on the head of the pin. They were worn in pairs, usually linked together by a long chain threaded through the hole at the top of the pin, to hold the dress together, and were worn upside down, with the pin and the plain ring at the top, and the decorative head hanging down.
The design of this pin identifies it as coming from the Aurès region of Algeria. The jewellery of Aurès is much more austere than the better-known enamelled coral jewellery of the Kabyle region.
The use of ring brooches to fasten women’s traditional clothing is universal across the region and dates back to late Roman times. Most of these brooches are penannular in shape, like this one, with all the decoration lavished on the head of the pin. They were worn in pairs, usually linked together by a long chain threaded through the hole at the top of the pin, to hold the dress together, and were worn upside down, with the pin and the plain ring at the top, and the decorative head hanging down.
The design of this pin identifies it as coming from the Aurès region of Algeria. The jewellery of Aurès is much more austere than the better-known enamelled coral jewellery of the Kabyle region.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | silver, incising, punching |
| Brief description | Silver fibula (Akhlâlet or Abzimt) with openwork round head, Aurès (Algeria), 1850-1900. |
| Physical description | Small cast silver fibula pin with penannular guard ring. The pin has a flat circular openwork head with sprays protruding on three sides and the pin attached at the fourth. The spray at the top has a hole in it. The guard ring has flattened terminals and is attached through a hole at the top of the pin. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Edmond Dresden |
| Object history | Accessions register entry: 'Brooch of low grade silver. / An openwork plate cast with a circle and tracery and fringed with leaf ornaments, terminates in a pin through the base of which a plain ring with flattened ends is passed. / Algerian (Kabyle) / L. 3 5/16 in., W. 1 9/16 in.' |
| 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. The use of ring brooches to fasten women’s traditional clothing is universal across the region and dates back to late Roman times. Most of these brooches are penannular in shape, like this one, with all the decoration lavished on the head of the pin. They were worn in pairs, usually linked together by a long chain threaded through the hole at the top of the pin, to hold the dress together, and were worn upside down, with the pin and the plain ring at the top, and the decorative head hanging down. The design of this pin identifies it as coming from the Aurès region of Algeria. The jewellery of Aurès is much more austere than the better-known enamelled coral jewellery of the Kabyle region. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 333-1904 |
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| Record created | April 4, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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