Silver-plated brass necklace decorated with wire and red and blue pastes, with coral pendants, Algeria, 1850-1899.

Necklace of silver-plated brass set with red and blue pastes. It consists of seven plaques, linked by jump rings, which alternate between lozenges and ovals, all with scalloped rims. The central plaque is larger than the others, and there is a triangular terminal plaque at each end. Each of the five central plaques has a pendant hanging from its lowest point, consisting of a bead of coral matrix with a drop-shaped plaque below it. The central pendant also has a crescent-shaped plaque above the drop. The front surface of all parts is decorated with a design of thick applied wire, which holds round cabochons of red and blue opaque glass, imitating coral and turquoise (most missing), and there is a raised boss in the centre of each of the seven central necklace plaques which formerly contained a paste.
794F-1902 (broken part) is a pendant

This is part of a group which was acquired in 1902 as an example of the traditional jewellery of Algeria. It is more likely that these pieces were made as souvenirs.

The V&A had been collecting traditional jewellery of all kinds, then usually called peasant jewellery, throughout the second half of the 19th century, and had already acquired some similar Algerian pieces in 1870. Despite their appearance these pieces are quite different from true Algerian traditional jewellery, which tends to be larger, heavier, and usually made of silver, rather than silver-plated brass, as here.

794&F-1902