Earrings
Earring
1850-1899 (made)
1850-1899 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Earrings, in a wide variety of designs, were worn by women throughout the Islamic world. Plain heavy silver ones, like these, are typical of the traditional jewellery worn by the nomadic peoples of the Sahara. The polyhedral end, made from a cube with the corners cut off, is often found on bracelets and anklets as well as earrings, and is one of the most distinctive aspects of the jewellery worn on the southern edges of the Sahara, from the Red Sea to the Atlantic.
These were described as ‘Modern Egyptian’ when they were acquired by the Museum in 1904, and probably come from the extreme south of the country or the Sudan.
These were described as ‘Modern Egyptian’ when they were acquired by the Museum in 1904, and probably come from the extreme south of the country or the Sudan.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Title | Earrings (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Silver |
| Brief description | Pair of silver hoop earrings with polyhedral terminals, Egypt, 1850-1899. |
| Physical description | Pair of silver hoop earrings made from a strip of thick silver wire with a cube at one end with truncated corners. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Edmond Dresden |
| Object history | Accessions register entry: 'Two rings of silver. / Penannular, one end terminating in a polyhedral knob. / Modern Egyptian / Each, diam. 1 1/4in.' |
| Summary | Earrings, in a wide variety of designs, were worn by women throughout the Islamic world. Plain heavy silver ones, like these, are typical of the traditional jewellery worn by the nomadic peoples of the Sahara. The polyhedral end, made from a cube with the corners cut off, is often found on bracelets and anklets as well as earrings, and is one of the most distinctive aspects of the jewellery worn on the southern edges of the Sahara, from the Red Sea to the Atlantic. These were described as ‘Modern Egyptian’ when they were acquired by the Museum in 1904, and probably come from the extreme south of the country or the Sudan. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 269&A-1904 |
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| Record created | April 8, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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