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Not currently on display at the V&A

Bangles

Pair of Bracelets
1860-1870 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Bracelets, always worn in pairs, were part of the traditional costume in almost all Islamic cultures. In the Syrian region, which incorporated much of Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon as well as Syria itself in the 19th century, they were worn by all sections of society, from townswomen to the nomadic Bedouin of the desert. The designs vary by sector and show influences from a wide area, reflecting Syria’s strong trading traditions and central location.

Hinged bracelets like these were more common among the settled urban and rural population. The use of a red paste on one and a green on the other is characteristic of Syrian traditional jewellery. They were bought for five shillings and sixpence (the pair) at the International Exhibition, London, in 1872. Their name was recorded as ‘ussuar’, which is a generic Arabic name for bracelets in the region.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Bangle
  • Bangle
TitleBangles (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Silver-plated copper set with red and green pastes with applied twisted wire decoration.
Brief description
Pair of hollow silver-plated hinged bangles inset with red and green pastes, Syria, 1860-1870.
Physical description
Pair of hinged silver-plated bracelets. Each consists of two hollow semi-circles of equal size hinged together at one end, and with a pin fastening at the other. The outside is decorated with a strip of applied filigree along the centre and borders of twisted wire. There is a lozenge-shaped plate over the fastening set with a red paste on one bracelet and a green on the other, and there is a smaller paste on each side of the hinge. The pin of the fastening is loose, and attached to the bracelet by a short length of figure-of-eight chain.
Dimensions
  • Both objects width: 8cm
Summary
Bracelets, always worn in pairs, were part of the traditional costume in almost all Islamic cultures. In the Syrian region, which incorporated much of Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon as well as Syria itself in the 19th century, they were worn by all sections of society, from townswomen to the nomadic Bedouin of the desert. The designs vary by sector and show influences from a wide area, reflecting Syria’s strong trading traditions and central location.

Hinged bracelets like these were more common among the settled urban and rural population. The use of a red paste on one and a green on the other is characteristic of Syrian traditional jewellery. They were bought for five shillings and sixpence (the pair) at the International Exhibition, London, in 1872. Their name was recorded as ‘ussuar’, which is a generic Arabic name for bracelets in the region.
Collection
Accession number
1531&A-1873

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Record createdApril 8, 2003
Record URL
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