Bedouin jewellery: Intro

Bedouin jewellery: Intro

by | Cultures & People

What is Bedouin jewellery

Bedouin jewellery: an introduction

Published Nov 25, 2023

‘Bedouin jewellery’ and ‘Bedouin silver’ are among the search terms most used for traditional jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia. That is even where this blog gets its name from! But what is Bedouin jewellery, exactly?

Who are the Bedouin?

Before we can look into Bedouin jewellery, we’ll need to get a grasp of who the Bedouin are. The word Bedouin comes from the Arabic Badawi, which means ‘of the desert’. That is a referral to their nomadic origins, and distinguishes them from sedentary people who lived near water and greenery. Those nomadic origins are reflected in the wide area the Bedouin live in today. You might think of the Arab Peninsula first, and you would be right, but Bedouin tribes live from Morocco to Iraq.

The backbone of Bedouin society is their tribal structure. That is not just an organizational structure, but also one with geographical reach. A tribe consists of many clans, made up by families, and levels of kinship are important. The space in which a tribe lives, is also recognized as their land: its borders are known and follow natural boundaries such as wadis, rivers or mountain ranges. [1]

That regional aspect of Bedouin life clashes regularly with modern state authorities.[2] The map shown below for example is from 1908 and shows the Bedouin tribes living in Southwest Asia. You see how the dwelling area of tribes can be quite large and extends across borders as we know them today.

Map from 1908 showing the Bedouin tribes in the Sinai, Palestine and Arab Peninsula.

What is Bedouin jewellery?

Unsurprisingly, Bedouin jewellery is the jewellery worn by Bedouin tribes. That might seem like a total no-brainer, but today you will find many pieces of jewellery described as ‘Bedouin’ which really are not! The word ‘Bedouin’ has become almost a synonym for jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia in general, and as such is at the verge of losing all meaning itself.

So, in order to recognize Bedouin jewellery, looking at the people that used these items is important. In other words: the answer to what Bedouin jewellery is, depends very much on which Bedouin you’re talking about. The jewellery of Omani Bedouin looks very different from that of Palestinian Bedouin, which in turn has nothing in common with Maghrebi Bedouin. But: they all share designs, motifs and workmanship with the other cultures of the geographical area they live in. And that reflects their history.

A faceveil from Palestinian/Egyptian Bedouin, showing coins.
Spendid Rashayda dress and silver jewellery.

Bedouin jewellery: history

The history of those many Bedouin tribes is visible in their jewellery. Jewellery and adornment show who they were in contact with. The coins on Palestinian and Egyptian Bedouin face veils present a beautiful economic overview of the people and societies they traded with. An example is shown in the gallery above: click on the image to enlarge it. Veils will have old Ottoman coins, Palestinian Mandate period coins, Russian coins and later on Israeli shekels: the changes of the political landscape the Bedouin live in, is recorded in their adornment.

The heavy face veils of the Rashayda Bedouin in Ethiopia, Sudan and Eritrea are reminiscent of those of the Rashayda tribe in Saudi Arabia: the Rashayda migrated from the Arab Peninsula about a century ago. Because of the close proximity of the Arab Peninsula, across the Red Sea, Rashayda jewellery still show similarities on both sides. An example is shown in the gallery above: click on the image to enlarge it.

A much earlier migration is that of the Maghrebi Bedouin tribes, who moved into North Africa in the Middle Ages, with the Arab expansion. The best-known Bedouin tribe living in the Maghreb are the Banu Hilal, but, for example, also the Ouled Nail and the Awlad Ali are descendants of Bedouin tribes from the Arab Peninsula. Their jewellery shows much more similarity to that of their Amazigh neighbours (although that relationship has often been a difficult one) than that of the Arab Peninsula. An example is shown in the gallery below.

A Ouled Nail Bedouin woman and silver bracelets.

Bedouin jewellery: a kaleidoscope of styles

This short exploration into Bedouin tribes across the Middle East and North Africa has shown how wide and varied this world is. There is no single style of ‘Bedouin jewellery’, and the term certainly does not apply to any and all traditional jewellery from the Middle East. It is not exclusive to jewellery from the Arab Peninsula, either: Bedouin tribes live in a very large region. I will be adding details in the Cultures & People-section of this blog gradually, so do check back regularly or subscribe to the Jewellery List to receive updates in your inbox!

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References

[1] Weir, S. 2007. A Tribal Order. Politics and Law in the Mountains of Yemen. British Museum, p. 92-93.

[2] Westheimer, R. & G. Sedan 2009. Shifting Sands. Bedouin Women at the Crossroads. Lantern Books, New York describes the consequences for Bedouin women in Israel.

Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only.

Palestine jewels: Bethlehem

Palestine jewels: Bethlehem

by | Cultures & People

jewellery of Palestine

Traditional Palestinian jewellery: Bethlehem

Updated August 25, 2024

Bethlehem and its surrounding region are home to a recognizable tradition in dress and adornment. In this blog, I’ll show you the most common elements of Bethlehem adornment – with photographs that rarely have been published elsewhere.

Two Palestinian women in Lifta, carrying water.

Bethlehem and surrounding villages

The town of Bethlehem is located on the West Bank, to the south of Jerusalem. In the immediate vicinity are many smaller villages, which share a similar personal attire. These similarities are visible in a wider area. The photograph shown above (click on the image to enlarge it) is in the collection of the Netherlands Institute for the Near East, Leiden. It shows women in the village of Lifta, which is to the north of Jerusalem, dressed in the same dress and jewellery as women in Bethlehem. [1]

Girls and a woman in Artas, Palestine. The girl on the left holds a chicken and is wearing a headdress with silver coins.
Bethlehem shatweh with coral beads, gold and silver coins.
Back view of a Bethlehem shatweh, showing additional Ottoman coins.

Bethlehem headdress: shatweh and taqiyeh

Married women in Bethlehem and the surrounding villages of Beit Jala, Lifta and Beit Sahur wore a headdress called shatweh. [2] This is a conical shaped headdress, densely embroidered on the outside and decorated with coins and coral beads.

Two examples of the shatweh are included in the gallery above: click on the images to enlarge them.

The coins could be either gold or silver, and wealthier people were reported to own two of these: one with gold for festive days, and one with silver for every day wear. However, in most cases wear of this headdress was limited to festive occasions such as weddings. [3] The Frank Scholten archive, containing photographs made between 1921 and 1923, shows many women in Bethlehem of which only few wear the shatweh.

Unmarried girls wore a smaller headdress, known as qurs or taqiyeh.[4] This was a type of bonnet, tied under the chin or under the hair with strings, and embellished with embroidery and coins. An example of this can be seen in the gallery above: click on the photo to enlarge. Both headdresses were covered with a cream-coloured veil of flowing silk. [5]

A forehead ornament of small hand amulets, called khamassiyat after these hands, was worn in the wider area of Bethlehem, Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley. [6] A photo of such an ornament is in the galley below: click on the image to enlarge.

Three solid silver haydari bracelets from Bethlehem.
Khamassiyat forehead ornament, worn in the Jordan Valley and Bethlehem area.
Group of Palestinian women in Bethlehem, wearing silver jewellery glinting in the sun.

Traditional jewellery of Bethlehem: bracelets

The most used jewellery in the Bethlehem area were bracelets called haydari. Their use is not limited to the Bethlehem region: they are also found in Jaffa and el-Khalil. Bracelets like these were worn in pairs, and it is not uncommon to find women wearing several bracelets stacks on each wrist.

An example can be seen in the photograph by Frank Scholten above (click on the image to enlarge – also it’s not your Internet connection, this photo of a century old is a bit unfocused). The haydari bracelets are solid silver, and were produced in both Bethlehem itself and Jerusalem.

Other bracelets also worn in this area are the bracelets of a twisted band, called mabroum, and bangles with little dots called ‘lentil’-bracelets because of their resemblance to lentils. [7]

Finnish scholar Hilma Granqvist wearing bridal jewellery of Bethlehem.
Two solid silver chin-chains called iznaq from Palestine.

The Star of Bethlehem: shining in silver

A remarkable and very typical piece of adornment for this region is the silver chin-chain. This was called ‘iznaq saba’ arwah, or ‘seven spirits’. The chin-chain was made of solid silver links, most often adding up to six or seven strands, which were connected in the centre by a star-shaped ornament.

The star was also referred to as the Star of Bethlehem. [8] From the set of chains, a central coin was suspended. Depending on the wealth of the wearer, the set of chains could be embellished further with multiple coins. The chin-chain was hooked into the shatweh headdress, and floated across the chest of the wearer.

Finnish researcher Hilma Granqvist was dressed up by her hosts in traditional bridal attire when visiting Bethlehem [9]. On the photo, which you see above, she wears a low shatweh headdress and the chin-chain ornament.

The chin-chain ornament was worn widely in the region of Bethlehem, too, as the image of the two women from Lifta at the top of this post shows. But as these were expensive pieces, they were not worn every day, and may even have been borrowed on festive occasions from wealthier family members. [10]

The photographs in the Hilma Granqvist archive show many women in everyday activities dressed in the Bethlehem thobe and wearing their bracelets, but without the festive shatweh headdress and accompanying chin-chain.

A rich heritage

The traditional jewellery of Bethlehem shows the splendour of the heritage of this town and its surrounding villages. The shatweh has become iconic for Palestinian dress and adornment. It is a heritage to be celebrated!

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More posts on jewellery, cultures and people? Browse them all here!

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References

[1] NINO Leiden, Böhl-collection.

[2] Weir, S. 1989. Palestinian Costume. The Trustees of the British Museum, London, p. 181.

[3] Völger, G. (ed) 1987. Pracht und Geheimnis. Kleidung und Schmuck aus Pälästina und Jordanien, p. 284.

[4] Weir, S. 1989. Palestinian Costume. The Trustees of the British Museum, London, p. 182-183.

[5] Völger, G. (ed) 1987. Pracht und Geheimnis. Kleidung und Schmuck aus Pälästina und Jordanien, p. 284.

[6] Rajab, J. 1989. Palestinian Costume, p. 115.

[7] Weir, S. 1989. Palestinian Costume. The Trustees of the British Museum, London, p. 199.

[8] Völger, G. (ed) 1987. Pracht und Geheimnis. Kleidung und Schmuck aus Pälästina und Jordanien, p. 302.

[x9 Hägmann, S. 2023. Dedicated to Palestine. The life and work of ethnologist Hilma Granqvist, p. 96.

[10] For Artas, this practice is mentioned in Völger, G. (ed) 1987. Pracht und Geheimnis. Kleidung und Schmuck aus Pälästina und Jordanien, p. 284. Weir, S. 1989. Palestinian Costume. The Trustees of the British Museum, London, p. 194 mentions that in most villages, chin-chains were only one or two strands instead of six or seven: this was reserved for wealthy persons in Bethlehem.

See the digital archive of Hilma Granqvist here.

See the digital archive of Frank Scholten here.

The Bedouin Silver blog gives credit where credit is due! Transparent referencing and citing sources helps us all grow. Would you like to do the same and quote this article? Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.

Ancient jewellery: Egypt

Ancient jewellery: Egypt

by | Cultures & People

jewellery of the pharaohs

Ancient Egyptian jewellery

What is the history of traditional jewellery in North Africa and the Middle East? Historical context and cultural heritage have left their traces in the traditional jewellery worn in countries as we know them today, and so this blog series takes us back to the distant past. In this blog, I will look at jewellery history in Egypt in very broad strokes: what is the history of ancient Egyptian jewellery?

Jewellery along the Nile

Egypt’s geographical location in northeastern Africa, on the fertile banks of the river Nile wedged in between deserts, has contributed to a recognizable style: while trade and diplomatic contacts brought international influences to Egypt, the country was also isolated enough to maintain its own style. Although jewellery from ancient Egypt seems to be represented well, what we know of today actually reflects only a very small portion of jewellery that once existed.

This is because jewellery of costly materials was often melted down and reused and stones were carved and recarved. Jewellery as is excavated from undisturbed royal burials gives us an idea of the adornment of the elite, while bits and pieces and fragments of faience jewellery tells the tale of local jewellery.

Ancient jewellery: before the pyramids

The use of jewellery in ancient Egypt dates back to early prehistory. When prehistoric communities gradually developed into kingdoms, jewellery was used to express ideology and status. One of the earliest rulers whose tomb has been excavated, is King Djer. He was buried near Abydos around 3,000 BCE, and his tomb is one of the largest of its kind. This was before the pyramids were built. The bracelets found in his tomb are the oldest surviving examples of royal jewellery in Egypt, and share a history of ideology, technology and trade.

Old Kingdom jewellery: the treasure box of the King’s Mother

The Great Pyramid on the Giza Plateau near Cairo was built by Pharaoh Khufu, known as Cheops to the Greeks. The tomb of his mother Hetep-Heres was discovered by chance only a stone’s throw away. A set of 10 silver bracelets per arm, gradually expanding in size so she could wear them from wrist to elbow, were carefully stored in a purpose-made box. They were decorated with butterfly motifs in carnelian and lapis lazuli.

During this period, we also find the use of cylinder seals. These were rolled into wet clay by means of signing and sealing. They take the form of beads and were worn visibly. This type of adornment combines the practical with status: whoever wore these, was able to read and write, and in a position of power.

The use of cylinder seals itself is mainly attested in Mesopotamia (current-day Syria and Iraq), and so these beads also tell us out about contacts and exchange with that region.

Middle Kingdom jewellery: princesses and diplomats

The pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom (2040 – 1780 BCE) chose Dahshur as their burial site. Here they built pyramids surrounded by other tombs, and in the funerary complex of king Senwosret III the treasure of a princess called Sit-Hathor-Yunet was found.

The jewellery pieces show the favoured combination of turquoise, lapis lazuli and carnelian and are very finely made. Among the jewellery were diadems, hair decoration, pectoral pendants, girdles, bracelets and anklets. Judging by the quality of the workmanship, these are believed to have been created in royal workshops, and are likely to have been commissioned by the king himself.

The find of one such pectoral pendant with the name of king Amenemhet III in current-day Lebanon, and now in the National Museum in Beirut, may even indicate jewellery was sent out as diplomatic gifts or traveled with high ranking Egyptians.

New Kingdom jewellery: the time of Tutankhamun

Around 1400 BCE, Egypt was a regional ‘superpower’. Not just the Egyptian Nile Valley, but large parts of current-day Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon and Syria were firmly under the control of the pharaohs. Their span of influence reached even further, as trade contacts were kept with the Aegean world, Cyprus and Mesopotamia.

This resulted in not only an abundance of materials to work with, but in new style influences as well. In turn, luxury goods from Egypt were sent out all over the region. Scarabs bearing the names of pharaohs were exchanged as gifts and propaganda, Egyptian gold was in high demand and local rulers were buried with fine examples of Egyptian craftmanship.

The jewellery of Tutankhamun shows the wide variety of materials used: not just gold and semi-precious stones, but also flowers mixed with gold and faience beads.

A stela of Nubian queen Amanishakheto, paired with a piece of gold jewellery belonging to her

The Nubian kingdoms: jewellery of the warrior-queens

While Egypt has always traded with, and later on conquered Nubia because they needed access to gold, the tables were turned in the 8th century BCE.

The Nubian king Piye, based in Napata in northern Sudan, gathered an army and conquered Egypt. Like the Egyptian kings, the Nubian kings were buried in pyramids, surrounded by lavish grave goods including jewellery. These were all made in an Egyptianizing style and incorporated Egyptian gods and stylistic elements.

Around the beginning of the CE, the Nubian kingdoms had established their capital even further south, in Meroë. Nubian queens ruled in their own right and led a firm resistance against the Roman armies, that had by then invaded Egypt. Queen Amanirenas, who ruled between 40 and 10 BCE, staged a surprise attack on the Roman armies and captured several cities in the south of Egypt.

These Nubian queens are depicted in Egyptianizing style, and always decked out in jewellery befitting their status.

A Fayum portrait from Egypt, combined with a Roman gold necklace.

Roman Egypt: jewellery in an multicultural world

During the Greek and Roman periods, Egyptian tradition mixed with new influences. In Fayum Oasis, elite ladies were buried with a painted portrait that adorned their mummy. These portraits show lifelike images of the deceased, dressed out in their finery.

The people depicted are dressed in Roman style fashion, hairdo and jewellery, and portraits offer much insight into the jewellery worn. Several examples of this jewellery have also been found in archaeological excavations.

Egypt formed part of a long-distance trade network: pearls came from the area of current-day UAE, diamonds, rubies and sapphires were imported from Asia and emeralds were mined in Egypt’s Eastern Desert.

Fatimid jewellery: medieval splendour

Cairo was the capital of the Fatimid dynasty (909 – 1171). The jewellery of this period is exceptionally finely made, using wire filigree and granulation. Not much of it survived, as it was mostly melted down in later periods. Besides in Egypt and Syria, Fatimid jewellery has been found in Spain as well and served there as the basis for later jewellery styles.

The openwork filigree of the Fatimids continued to be produced under the Ottomans, albeit less delicate and in completely different shapes, and so continued into the traditional jewellery of our time.

This blog will continue with the traditional silver jewellery of Egypt.

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Where can I learn more about ancient Egyptian jewellery?

Want to find out more about the history of pharaonic jewellery? The e-course on ancient Egyptian jewellery is here for you: jewellery, hairstyles, dress, fashion, fragrance and tattoos in ancient Egypt explained!

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References for further reading

RAWI Issue 7

Bulsink, M. 2015. Egyptian Gold Jewellery. Palma Egyptology 12, Brepols Publishers, Turnhout

Fletcher, N. 2020. Ancient Egyptian Jewelry. 50 Masterpieces of Art and Design. AUC Press, Cairo.

Jenkins, M. 1988. Fatimid Jewelry, its influences and subtypes, in: Ars Orientalis, Vol. 18

Lacovara, P. and Y. Markowitz, 2020. Jewels of the Nile. Giles Art Publishing

Lane, E.W. 1860. An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians. The Definitive 1860 Edition. The American University in Cairo Press, Cairo (2003).

Markowitz, Y. and D. Doxey, 2014. Jewels of Ancient Nubia. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only.

Ancient jewellery: Palestine

Ancient jewellery: Palestine

by | Ancient jewellery, Cultures & People

levantine jewellery history

Ancient Palestinian jewellery

Updated March 9, 2025

What is the history of traditional jewellery in North Africa and the Middle East? Historical context and cultural heritage have left their traces in the traditional jewellery worn in countries as we know them today, and so this blog series takes us back to the distant past. In this blog, I will look at jewellery history in Palestine: the region of Historic Palestine and Greater Syria, which since 1948 includes Israel.  What is the history of Palestinian jewellery in very broad strokes?

Ancient trade and historic Palestine

Historic Palestine is situated on the shores of the Mediterranean. Here, trade routes coming over land from the Arab Peninsula and Central Asia connected with those coming from Egypt. The sea routes over the Mediterranean also included Palestinian ports. As in most of the eastern Mediterranean, influences from Western Asia met directly with southern European and northern African cultures, resulting in a pluriform world.

Tell el-Ajjul, near the modern city of Gaza, was one of the principal cities in the southern Levant as it was strategically located on the main route through Sinai into Egypt, near the Mediterranean coast as well as on an intersection with trade routes coming from Syria.

Bronze Age Palestine: gold jewellery and glass beads

Tell el-Ajjul for example was a place where gold jewellery was produced in the late Bronze Age. [1] Here, three hoards were found, which reflect these international relations in their variety of styles. Some of the jewellery items are clearly Egyptian, such as rings with scarabs. Others are based on more local Canaanite traditions, such as the triangular pendant with a goddess, of which parallels have been found in Syria as well as on the Uluburun shipwreck. Several earrings and a crescent pendant are reminiscent of jewellery still worn today.

Jewellery based on Egyptian examples, such as scarabs and other Egyptian amulets is found widely in Palestine from ca 1500 BCE onwards: this is the timeframe in which the pharaohs extended their empire into the Levant.

In Bisan, also known as Beit She’an, over 1,500 glass and faience beads were excavated within a temple site. [2] While the majority of the glass and faience beads were of Egyptian production methods and style, they were strung together with beads and ornaments that referred to Canaanite gods and goddesses.

Silver jewellery hoards in historic Palestine

Besides gold jewellery and glass beads, several hoards of silver have been found throughout Palestine as well. [3] These date from the 12th century BCE to the 6th century BCE and tell us a great deal about trade and contacts. The origin of the silver itself in these hoards has been analyzed, and this showed two notable facts. [4]

First, the silver was melted down and reworked several times. This is a custom that is widespread throughout Southwest Asia and North Africa, as precious metals were valuable and reused when needed.

Second, the origins of the silver found in these hoards are Anatolia, the Aegean and, perhaps more surprising, the western Mediterranean – the Iberian Peninsula, or Sardinia. This points to a trade contact from west to east and illustrates the wide reach of trade networks in the late Bronze and early Iron Age.

Glass jewellery production in al Khalil [Hebron] and the coastal regions

Palestine was a major region of glass production during the first millennium CE.[5] Here, glass finger rings, beads, pendants and bracelets were created. Pilgrim souvenirs made of glass catered to Christian worshippers [6].

Glass jewellery continued to be created during the Middle Ages, when for example the use of glass bracelets increased exponentially. Fragments of bracelets are regularly found at excavation sites, but are not often well understood. Their method of production, just like beads, did not change significantly for a long time. This makes them difficult to date: it is the excavation stratigraphy that provides a date for the bracelet fragments. [7]

One of the locations that was famous for its glass production until the last century was al Khalil, also known as Hebron. Here, the glass industry dates back at least two millennia. Glass beads have been produced here as well, at least since the Middle Ages, and a 1799 travel account mentions the coarse glass beads that were created in Hebron and traded to East Africa. Glass bracelets made in Palestine were considered an indispensable part of a bride’s dowry in 1920s southern Palestine.⁠ [8]

This blog will continue with the traditional silver jewellery of Palestine: Bethlehem.

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Find out more about the history of jewellery in the e-course on Ancient Jewellery!

More posts on jewellery, cultures and people? Browse them all here!

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References

[1] McGovern, E. 1980. Ornamental and Amuletic Jewelry Pendants of Late Bronze Age Palestine. An Archaeological Study. PhD-thesis, University of Pennsylvania

[2] McGovern, E., S.J. Stuart & C.P. Swann. The Late Bronze Egyptian Garrison at Beth Shan: Glass and Faience Production and Importation in the Late New Kingdom, in: Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 1993-05-01, Vol.290 (290/291), p.1-27

[3] Taha, H., A. Pol & G. Van der Kooij 2006. A Hoard of Silver Coins at Qabatiya, Palestine. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Ramallah

[4] Wood, J., I. Montero-Ruiz & M. Martinón-Torres. From Iberia to the Southern Levant: the Movement of Silver Across the Mediterranean in the Early Iron Age, in: Journal of World Prehistory (2019) 32, p. 1-31

[5] Freestone, I. C. Glass Production in the First Millennium CE; A Compositional Perspective, in: Klimscha, F. et al (eds) 2021. From Artificial Stone to Translucent Mass-Product. Berlin Studies of the Ancient World, 67, p. 245-246

[6] Schwarzer, H. & T. Rehren. Glass Finds From Pergamon. A Report on the Results of Recent Archaeologic and Archaeometric Research, in: Klimscha, F. et al (eds) 2021. From Artificial Stone to Translucent Mass-Product. Berlin Studies of the Ancient World, 67, p. 181

[7] See for a short excursion into glass bracelets from Sinai for example Shindo, Y. 2001. The classification and chronology of Islamic glass bracelets from al-Tur, Sinai, in: Senri Ethnological Studies vol. 55, pp. 73-100

[8] Weir, S. 1989. Palestinian Costume. The Trustees of the British Museum, London

This is an updated, adapted and expanded version of an earlier blog post I wrote for the Zay Initiative.

The Bedouin Silver blog gives credit where credit is due! Transparent referencing and citing sources helps us all grow. Would you like to do the same and quote this article? Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.

What is ‘Kuchi jewellery’?

What is ‘Kuchi jewellery’?

by | Cultures & People

Afghanistan adornment

What is ‘Kuchi’ jewellery?

Updated Dec 27, 2023

It’s a popular term: ‘Kuchi jewellery’, a firm favourite in so-called tribal fusion dance costumes. Also spelled Koochi or Kochi, it often refers to jewellery with colourful glass insets, broadly coming from Afghanistan and Pakistan. But what does ‘Kuchi’ mean?

A Pashtun dress ornament from Afghanistan

Who are the Kuchi?

Basically, ‘Kuchi’ is not a specific people, but a generic term used for a wide range of peoples in Afghanistan, but also in Pakistan and Iran. [1] The word ‘kuch’ itself is Farsi and means ‘migration’. The term is used widely these days, both in the region itself and by cultural outsiders, but as you might expect, ‘Kuchi’ is not what those peoples called themselves.

This is also where it gets complicated when it comes to jewellery research, because as ‘Kuchi’ is a relatively recent term, you will not find references to ‘Kuchi jewellery’ in any of the older standard works on jewellery from Afghanistan. [2]

‘Kuchi’ is not a specific tribe or people. ‘Kuchi’ is a generic term that did not exist before the 1980s

Tribes in Afghanistan: more than just one people

The geographic area inhabited by the peoples called ‘Kuchi’ today is incredibly complex when it comes to tribal, cultural and ethnic identities and affiliations. I wrote a little about the difficulties of pinning just one label on jewellery here, and those difficulties apply to ‘Kuchi jewellery’ as well.

Political, social, religious and cultural changes in the past decades have left their mark on the many peoples living in this region as well as on borders of countries. The Pashtun are the largest group, but Turkmen, Uzbek, Tajik, Kazakh, Baluch and Hazara people live in current-day Afghanistan as well.

As a result of decades of war, many have fled to Pakistan and further afield – it is impossible to capture the details and the effects of recent history in one short blog post, but a list of resources to start reading is here.

Pashtun silver ring with red glass

What is Kuchi jewellery?

Under this umbrella term, many styles and people who wore these items ressort. The jewellery styles share a visual language with the western Himalayas and are worn as far away as northern India as well.

There is no straightforward, clear distinction in attributing jewellery items in a region with such a kaleidoscope of peoples, shifting allegiances and changing spheres of influence. An in-depth study of the jewellery we simply call ‘Kuchi’ today could shed light on all of these aspects, as jewellery is a powerful historic source.

Afghan jewellery heritage

Alfred Janata has attempted to provide an overview as best he could in his book on Afghan jewellery.

The ornaments with red, green and blue glass that are most often labeled as ‘kuchi’ were mainly sold in Khost in the eastern Afghan province of Paktya, but created in Pakistan: once again, current-day borders are not synonym with cultural differences. According to Janata, these ornaments were worn by nomadic women who either spent the winter season in Paktya or whose migration routes crossed this province. [3].

Ornaments with smaller inlays of green and red glass (so not blue) were called Katawaz according to Janata, and may have been worn by nomadic women traveling between the winter pastures in Paktya and Katawaz, where the summer pastures were located. [4]

The famous chokers with glass inlays and dangles were worn mainly by the Pashtun in the south and southeast of Afghanistan [5], and so the book provides an overview of Afghanistan’s jewellery heritage.

Two Afghani chokers, likely Pashtun

Kuchi ornaments

The article by Hejzlarova, Susek et al [6] presents several types of ornament worn by the people called Kuchi today. They note most of the jewellery worn by women focuses on the upper part of the body like head adornment, ear and nose plugs, choker necklaces, amulet necklaces, rings and bracelets.

See more on Kuchi Afghan vanity grooming sets here

Kuchi jewellery is not made of sterling silver, but of an alloy comparable to nickel silver or ‘German’ silver, consisting of copper, zinc and nickel. The small amount of silver in these jewels was obtained from silver coins.

Modern-day Kuchi jewellery and the West

Nowadays, the jewellery pieces offered as ‘kuchi’ are usually entirely newly produced, due to the high demand for these pieces in the West. In these, a new colour palette emerges: pink, neon green, purple or bright yellow glass have been added to the original colour schemes.

The use of uniform colours in jewellery pieces is also indicative of new production: pieces executed in one colour only, notably the popular chokers, are almost certainly newly made. Actual vintage pieces have become increasingly rare.

That is not simply a matter of ‘fake’ items: creating and selling jewellery is the main source of income for many displaced people in this war-torn region. It has become a symbol of identity proudly worn by Afghans in the diaspora.

In that respect, the term ‘kuchi’ has taken on new meaning: from a term coined by cultural outsiders with little to no regard for the differences (and similarities!) of the many cultural groups in the region, it has evolved into a term used by people from Afghanistan as well to represent their cultural heritage. [7]

Afghani styles of many peoples

So, while ‘Kuchi jewellery’ remains a generic term for the jewellery styles of many social groups in Afghanistan and beyond, a group of jewellery that needs much more detailed research to pinpoint their similarities and differences, one thing is clear: it is an expression of heritage and identity for many.

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References

[1] Tapper, R. 2008. Who are the Kuchi? Nomad self-identities in Afghanistan, in: Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 14, pp. 97-116.

[2] Janata, A. 1981. Schmuck in Afghanistan, does not mention ‘Kuchi’ for example – the term was not used as widely as it is today. Neither do Stuckert & Bucherer-Dietschi  1981, Schmuck und Silberschmiedearbeiten in Afghanistan und Zentralasien : Schmuck in Sammlungen, Bibliotheca Afghanica, which has an emphasis on Turkmen jewellery in Afghanistan.

[3] Janata 1981, p. 68.

[4] Janata 1981, p. 70.

[5] Janata 1981, p. 74.

[6] Hejzlarova, T., L. Dusek (2019) Kuchi Jewellery, in: Annals of the Naprstek Museum 40/2, pp. 27-48.

[7] Among many other things: the adaptation of the world ‘kuchi’ has many other implications, as the article by Tapper explores. See also Hejzlarova et al., p. 33, who observe there is very little known about this type of jewellery, but an abundance of misinformation in circulation.

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The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.