Forehead Ornament
1850-1899 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This silver plaque was originally the centre-piece of a diadem worn as part of the traditional costume of the women of Aurés. The hook at the top would have been hooked into the wearer’s headdress, above the forehead, and the two long chains at the sides would also have had hooks at their ends which would have attached it at the sides or back of the head. The chains hanging down at the front would have ended in small pendants or amulets. These pendants were almost always set with a red coral, or some kind of imitation, in the centre.
Headdresses like this were probably common in the 19th and early-20th century, when Paul Eudel recorded one in his Dictionary of North African Jewellery, but were superseded soon afterwards by a more elaborate form, and are now rare.
Headdresses like this were probably common in the 19th and early-20th century, when Paul Eudel recorded one in his Dictionary of North African Jewellery, but were superseded soon afterwards by a more elaborate form, and are now rare.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cast and pierced silver set with a piece of coral |
| Brief description | Silver forehead ornament (Anadj) set with coral, with pendent chains, Algeria, 1850-1899. |
| Physical description | Cast and pierced flat circular silver pendant with scalloped edges and a fan-shaped base. It has a piece of coral in red lacquer set in the centre. The top is elongated to form a backward hook. There are three short lengths of chain hanging from holes in the lower edge of the fan, and a continuous loop of chain on each side, attached at each end to holes on the scalloped edge. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Edmond Dresden |
| Object history | Accessions register entry: 'Ornament for a woman's head-dress of low-grade silver set with red lacquer. / It consists of a rosette with a leaf-ornament below and a hook above. A long chain is attached to each side and three short chains hang from the bottom. / Algerian / H. 4 1/2 in, L. with chains, 12 1/4 in.' |
| Summary | This silver plaque was originally the centre-piece of a diadem worn as part of the traditional costume of the women of Aurés. The hook at the top would have been hooked into the wearer’s headdress, above the forehead, and the two long chains at the sides would also have had hooks at their ends which would have attached it at the sides or back of the head. The chains hanging down at the front would have ended in small pendants or amulets. These pendants were almost always set with a red coral, or some kind of imitation, in the centre. Headdresses like this were probably common in the 19th and early-20th century, when Paul Eudel recorded one in his Dictionary of North African Jewellery, but were superseded soon afterwards by a more elaborate form, and are now rare. |
| Bibliographic reference | For an example of a complete headdress of this type see:
Eudel, Paul, 'Dictionnaire des bijoux de l'Afrique du Nord: Maroc, Algérie, Tunisie, Tripolitaine', Paris, 1906, pp.14-15. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 363-1904 |
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| Record created | April 4, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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