Hair Ornament
1860-1872 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The traditional jewellery of the Syrian region, which incorporated much of Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon as well as Syria itself in the 19th century, shows influences from a wide range of sources, reflecting Syria’s strong trading traditions and central location. The jewellery worn in towns, which is often Ottoman in style, is frequently very different from that worn by the nomadic Bedouin, whose characteristic silver jewellery is much better known today.
Chains such as these were worn by women on the back of the head, woven into their plaited hair with ribbons. These were bought for the Museum for 15 shillings and 6 pence at the International Exhibition, London, 1872 as part of a large quantity of traditional Syrian jewellery. The name was given as ‘Aakoos’, but they are now usually called qarmal.
Chains such as these were worn by women on the back of the head, woven into their plaited hair with ribbons. These were bought for the Museum for 15 shillings and 6 pence at the International Exhibition, London, 1872 as part of a large quantity of traditional Syrian jewellery. The name was given as ‘Aakoos’, but they are now usually called qarmal.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Silver- plated metal with filigree and coins linked by natural cloth ribbon |
| Brief description | Silver-plated hair ornament of three pendants, Syria, 1860-1872. |
| Physical description | Set of three long silver-plated hair pendants. Each consists of a series of objects strung together. At the top is a large spherical bead of crude filigree with a tube extending the hole at its top and bottom. Next is a coin with loops soldered top and bottom each of which holds a ring. At the bottom is a hollow dome, half made of filigree, with a tube at the top and seven loops round the base, each of which holds a long loop-in-loop chain with small disc pendants at its end and attached along its length. The three elements of the pendant are joined to each other by short lengths of natural fibre woven into a ribbon which are threaded through the tubes and tied to the rings. |
| Summary | The traditional jewellery of the Syrian region, which incorporated much of Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon as well as Syria itself in the 19th century, shows influences from a wide range of sources, reflecting Syria’s strong trading traditions and central location. The jewellery worn in towns, which is often Ottoman in style, is frequently very different from that worn by the nomadic Bedouin, whose characteristic silver jewellery is much better known today. Chains such as these were worn by women on the back of the head, woven into their plaited hair with ribbons. These were bought for the Museum for 15 shillings and 6 pence at the International Exhibition, London, 1872 as part of a large quantity of traditional Syrian jewellery. The name was given as ‘Aakoos’, but they are now usually called qarmal. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1527&A-1873 |
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| Record created | April 8, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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