THOBNA

THOBNA

Palestinian dress research

THOBNA. Reclaiming Palestinian dresses in the diaspora

Published Dec 22, 2023

What power does a dress hold, personally, but also historically? Wafa Ghnaim’s second book THOBNA. Reclaiming Palestinian dresses in the diaspora investigates the memory of women through their dress. The result is a book that is personal and powerful, a study that sets a new standard for dress research.

The book 'Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver' shown with an Omani gold and silver necklace.

THOBNA: our dress

The title, THOBNA, means ‘our dress’. That reflects the viewpoint of this book: it is written by a Palestinian artist and scholar. In the introduction, Wafa shares her evolving points of view and understanding since Tatreez and Tea was published. THOBNA focuses on resistance embroidery in its historical and actual context.

Palestinian tatreez: flipping the perspective

THOBNA regards dress as living history (p. 37). The importance here is the realization that the woman creating and wearing the dress is central to its decoration and the story it shares. Tracing back embroidery only to its historic roots will only get you so far: it has always moved in sync with its people.

The first two chapters discuss that perspective. First, the dress is placed in the historical context of its people. In doing so, Wafa questions the usual method of describing dresses as ‘pre- or post 1948’, ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’. By following the wider context of the history of Palestinian people, she is able to identify a much more detailed development in dress styles, tied directly to circumstances and historical shifts.

Next, she traces the embroidery styles that have contributed to tatreez and dress as they exist today to deeper history in the wider geographical area of Southwest Asia. Discussing sources and the role that museums objects can play in this type of research, she then zooms in on dress styles from the 1850s onwards.

This is an incredibly important chapter to read. It blends together detailed experiences of reality after 1948 with artistic and resistance developments.

Dress research: ten portraits

Ten Palestinian dresses are analyzed in detail and serve as a sampler of how much more information may be learned from thorough dress study. In this chapter, Wafa identifies the maker of a dress as ‘Maker Once Known’ instead of ‘Unknown Artist’ – a beautiful way of flipping the perspective again, of acknowledging a maker whose name we no longer know, but whose story is preserved in her dress.

And there is so much to be decoded in these dresses. An example that resonated with me is a dress from the Gaza region (p. 71). It was altered several times, its changing fabrics indicating displacement and wear by different persons. Importantly here, Wafa includes the history of the dress during the time it was with its collector – these, too, may have altered dresses and as such obscuring parts of its Palestinian biography.

Tatreez: symbolism and colour by decade

As a result of her in-depth study, Wafa reflects on symbolism and shares her insights on how to date a thobe by its colour scheme. This latter chapter is very important for anyone studying dress, as it provides not only colour schemes per century and per region, but also explains how these came to be and how they remained associated with regional identities even after the 1948 depopulation of these regions.

The symbolism chapter in particular is another example of living history. For jewellery, I can’t stress enough that any given symbol may carry different meaning for different people in different timeframes. Symbolism is never static. For the meaning of patterns on a dress, THOBNA adds the crucial insight that these not only vary over time and geographically, but also per family. Every family has its own history, its own way of expressing, and that is reflected in the forms chosen. And that brings me to the value of knowledge and how we achieve it.

Knowledge: lived, learned, passed on

If I were to describe THOBNA in one word, it would be understanding of knowledge (okay, that’s three). Apart from knowledge of historical events, as outlined above, there is Elder knowledge or ancestral knowledge to incorporate in research. Tangible heritage is always accompanied by intangible heritage: stories, poems, songs, expressions and personal memories. But these are rarely included in research. even though they contribute a unique perspective on living heritage.

Knowledge comes, for cultural outsiders, also in the form of awareness. In the last three chapters, Wafa shares many detailed stitches, materials, how-to’s, patterns and their meaning with us, and guides us clearly and gently in how to respect these properly.

 

“May THOBNA provide an artistic means for you to study and learn about Palestinian resistance from our perspective”

THOBNA: integral dress research

Do not expect easy lists or clear-cut criteria in this book, although the thobe diagram, colour guides and patterns provided are very detailed. Rather, immerse yourself in the ever-evolving world of dress and its people. Studying THOBNA will allow you to develop a deeper understanding of the multifaceted world of Palestinian dress, as seen through the eyes of a Palestinian researcher and artist.

That is what makes this book stand out, too. It combines the perspectives of scholarly research, indigenous living heritage and the actual experience of the artist. It discusses dress from all these perspectives, and it does so in the past, present and future tense.

That is how it sets a new standard for dress research: there are so many details to take into account to properly reconstruct the narrative of the creators and wearers of dress that it needs all these perspectives, not just the art historical point of view.

If you are in any way involved in Palestinian dress, either as a curator or a collector, you will really want to read this book.

And now even more so, because THOBNA was published in the summer of 2023. On p. 91, we read:

THOBNA is a commitment to reclamation. Therefore, Chapter 9 focuses primarily on the patterns stitched during the First and Second Intifada, when Palestinian women used tatreez as an artistic expression worn on their bodies that held the world to account for turning a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinians under Israeli occupation, reiterating their right of return and asserting their undeniable need for freedom.

Since then, the truth in these words has become shockingly clear once again.

More information on THOBNA. Reclaiming Palestinian dresses in the diaspora.

Title: THOBNA. Reclaiming Palestinian dresses in the diaspora. By Wafa Ghnaim, 2023. 189 pages, full colour, in English.

Published by The Tatreez Institute, Washington D.C.

Available with the author and on Amazon.

More on Wafa’s work can be found here on the Tatreez and Tea website.

I received the book as thank you for the crowdfunding, which I am proud to have supported.

Where can I find more on traditional jewellery from Southwest Asia and North Africa?

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Would you like to quote this article? Please do! 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].

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.

A Palestinian wuqaya

A Palestinian wuqaya

jewellery of Palestine

Traditional Palestinian headdress: wuqaya

Published Dec 20, 2023

This is a beautiful headdress from Palestine, called a wuqaya. It was worn in the area of Jerusalem and Ramallah. [1] It would be placed under the headveil, with the coin fringe showing on the forehead.

Wuqaya: design and wear

In the image above (click to enlarge it) you’ll see how it is designed: a more or less square piece of cloth with a central embroidered panel. Below the chin, a series of chains and other coins dangle. The headdress has a beaded border in red and blue, and a double row of coins. According to Weir, this headdress was probably worn by girls [2].

Wuqaya: the coin fringe

The coins on this headdress may tell us a lot about the wearer herself, and the world she lived in.

The number of coins usually reflects the wealth of the wearer. That is because the silver in these coins used to be what made them valuable. From this tradition, the use of displaying coins became standard.

Also when the wearer was not that affluent: all of the coins on this particular headdress are imitation coins in brass. Note the detail with which the coin fringe begins. Starting in the centre, the coins fall in two directions: a red fabric detail covers the part where they part ways. It also ensures the first two coins stay in place.

Brass coins for the headdress of an unmarried girl make sense: she would not have had a large fortune of her own yet. This would become hers upon marriage: learn how that works here.

‘Brass coins on the headdress of an unmarried girl make sense’

Palestinian wuqaya: the chainwork

This particular wuqaya also shows chainwork. This is attached so it would fall below the chin, not unlike the chin-chain from Bethlehem presented in this post. This seems to be a later addition to this piece: the chainwork is irregular, mismatched and seems to have been added rather haphazardly.  

None of the headdresses published seem to have such an addition: it may come from another type of headdress, and used as embellishment of this one.

Its addition is also strange in light of who would be wearing this headdress. Such a set of chainwork is usually reserved for headdresses of married women. They would carry silver coins and display her wealth. This wuqaya however was worn by girls who had not yet acquired such wealth.

A German token coin in Palestine

The central pendant on the chin-chain carries a German text. You’ll see it in more detail on the photo above: click to enlarge it. ‘Spielmarke’ means a token. But this pendant is not as random as it might seem. On its other side, it shows a double-headed eagle. This resembles many actual coins from the period, notably the Maria Theresia Thaler.

The Maria Theresia Thaler was among the most popular coins in the Middle East and far beyond, because of its guaranteed high silver content. You will find these coins on many pieces of jewellery throughout North Africa and Southwest Asia.

Around the border however, it reads ‘Neurenberger Spiel und Rechenpfennig’. These were exported on a large scale to the Ottoman world. As they were much valued substitutes for actual coins, you will find many of these on dresses, veils and other objects of personal adornment.⁠⁠

The wuqaya: between girl and woman

According to Weir [3] this headdress was worn by girls who had reached puberty. That was an age on which girls would marry: in the area around Hebron/al Khalil, a large coin such as a Maria Theresia Thaler would be attached to the wuqaya to indicate the girl was ready to get married.

This headdress would accompany a girl during her transition from unmarried girl into married woman: an important step in her life’s journey.

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Reference1

[1] Völger, G. (ed) 1987. Pracht und Geheimnis. Kleidung und Schmuck aus Pälästina und Jordanien, p. 277.

[2] Weir, S. 1989. Palestinian Costume. The Trustees of the British Museum, London, p. 177.

[3] Weir, S. 1989. Palestinian Costume. The Trustees of the British Museum, London, p. 176.

Would you like to quote this article? Please do! 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].

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.

Gold dinars at a glance

Gold dinars at a glance

Un tresor en or: le dinar dans tous ses etats

Gold dinars from all sides

Published Dec 18, 2023

A small blog on a small book filled with treasure! The booklet ‘Un trésor en or – Le dinar dans tous ses États’, published by the Institut du Monde Arabe, is a lovely, and surprisingly complete, introduction into the field of gold dinars from the Islamic world. It’s primarily aimed at kids, but this slightly older kid enjoyed it, too!

Cover of the book Le dinar dans tous ses Etats

Gold dinars: the stories they hold

This tiny publication presents 428 gold dinars shown in the exhibition of the same name, held at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Spring 2023. In just 47 illustrated pages, it introduces the length and width of the world these coins represent. For example, did you know the word dinar is derived from the coin called denarius in Latin? I love these historical continuities.

The booklet explores where the gold for these coins came from, its preferred alloy, its shapes and inscriptions, but there is much more than that. Each spread in the book covers a different topic: Christian dinars, dinars with zodiac signs, calligraphy, names of sultans and caliphs…and let’s not forget dinars struck by women rulers.

It brings several useful introductory schematics, too: how to describe coins, a map with minting offices in the medieval Islamic world, and a very useful overview of all those dynasties and countries at a glance.

Gold dinars: a tiny treasure

Like I said, this is a very small booklet, but it covers much ground! Although it is primarily aimed at kids, I find it a very well executed example of introducing the span of stories a coin can share to a wider audience. It is accessible, abundantly illustrated, and informative: a tiny treasure in itself.

And that makes me look forward to the forthcoming publication of the coin collection in the Khalili Collections even more…!

More information on Un trésor en or – Le dinar dans tous ses États’

Title: Un trésor en or – Le dinar dans tous ses États. 2023 47 pages, full colour, in French.

Published by the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA), Paris.

Available in the webshop of the IMA.

I purchased this booklet in the museum shop of the Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris.

Where can I find more on traditional jewellery from Southwest Asia and North Africa?

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Would you like to quote this article? Please do! 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].

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.

Oman Adorned

Oman Adorned

Omani silver jewellery

Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver

Published Dec 15, 2023

It’s a book that has been out for almost 30 years….Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver was published in 1997, but still is on the ‘most wanted’-list for many collectors. What is it about this book that makes it such a must-have, even though it has been out of print for decades?

The book 'Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver' shown with an Omani gold and silver necklace.

Oman Adorned: a hard to find book

I myself have been looking for this book for the better part of 12 years. And when I finally obtained a copy in 2023, I could not believe my luck! So, what’s the big deal about this book? Is it worth the hype?

I’d say: yes, it is. And that is not because I purchased it at a steep price and am now trying to convince myself, rather than anyone else, that it was worth it. (looking at you, new pair of overpriced shoes!) In all transparency, I hit the book jackpot for once, with a bookstore who did not realize the value of its contents for collectors and sold it at a very reasonable price.

Omani silver jewellery: an overview

Oman Adorned presents the silver jewellery tradition of Oman in three parts. These are geographically defined between Northern Oman, Central Oman and Southern Oman.

Where it truly excels, is in providing the cultural context and original names of things. And those names are not just given for the jewellery pieces themselves, but also often for its individual components: beads, dangles, coins…and even the sound some hollow anklets with small pebbles on the inside make is mentioned with its own name.

For each jewel, the book describes how and when it was worn. A large number of photographs shows what that looked like. The introductory chapter brings the history and geography of Oman, and throughout the book its various cultures are presented.

Detail of Dhofari silver jewellery from Oman.

Living Omani silver: trade, background and culture

On top of all this, all three parts of Oman Adorned include background information beyond the pieces themselves. There’s a chapter on silver jewellery for children, and jewellery in relation to the lives of women: how and when they obtain silver jewellery and why.

You’ll also find a chapter on silver jewellery and the Omani zar ceremony, the difference in jewellery and meaning between boys, men, girls and women, and chapters on trade and ownership. You’ll read how babies’ ears were pierced, how anklets added to the festivities of dance, how kohl was produced and hair was braided.

As such, Oman Adorned covers many more aspects of jewellery than just the ornamental. It discusses silver jewellery as ornament, as possession, as amulet, and as part of economic trade and household economy.

And that is what sets it aside from other books on jewellery: many of them present jewellery with only very little information, and this book places jewellery squarely in its cultural context.

Limits of Oman Adorned

As you see, this is a must-have book in its detailed descriptions and background information. And even this thorough work has its limits.

The book is extremely well-researched, but it is not complete. And it could never be, because jewellery is living heritage that changes along with its makers and wearers: creativity cannot be frozen in time, or in book pages for that matter.

As the authors themselves already write in their foreword, there is so much more on Omani adornment they did not get around to investigating. They also note the gaps in knowledge and jewellery as a result of collecting: a super important point that many other books do not address. See more about that here.

They describe this book as ‘a start’ – and if this is the start, you’ll get an idea of how much more is out there…! Incidentally, the wonderful research project on Omani silver carried out by several research partners is a fantastic follow-up: click here to read more about this exciting project! The Dhofari jewellery shown above was on display in the British Museum in the accompanying exhibition, celebrating Omani silversmithing.

Oman Adorned: how to get it

Now that is the most difficult part! The book has been out of print for decades, and getting your hands on a copy is no easy task. Of course, we all hope that we will run into a copy in that small charity shop, at the sale of the local library or in that huge bookshop with second-hand books…but those odds are slim. It does pop up irregularly online, but that is indeed a rare occasion.

Booksite Find More Books keeps track of online bookstores and other digital platforms. They cast their search net wide, and include results from (among others) AbeBooks, Amazon, Ebay and roughly 60,000 antiquarian book dealers. With the search results for your title, it also shows a graph where readers can see how the price of a book develops over time and how often it is offered for sale. The results for Oman Adorned are telling: it has not been seen online between 2016 and 2023.

Oman Adorned: what is a reasonable price for this book?

There is no easy answer to this one! Its current value is determined largely by its scarcity and lack of competition: it’s a rare book, and a very detailed one. Anyone can make a catalogue, let’s say, but this book goes above and beyond that.

But, if it were to be reprinted, and with such high demand I wonder why it hasn’t already, the value of existing copies would plummet. And imagine…if a new book on Omani silver were to be published, provided it matches the detail and knowledge in Oman Adorned, the price would decrease, too.

I suppose the consideration is not so much to see it as an investment. It rather depends on the balance between the value of knowledge and insight, and your budget. For me, this is an exceptionally good (actually indispensable) book to help me in identifying and studying Omani silver. But, although I have come across a few copies incidentally earlier, those outweighed my means. Simple as that.

So, I located it in a library, and went there whenever I needed to look something up. Worldcat is a great resource for locating titles in libraries, but… here as well, it’s a rare title.

Are you looking for a copy of Oman Adorned? Set search alerts online, with your local bookstore, and…keep looking! It may take time, but if I found one, there is hope for you, too.

Do you own a copy that you wish to sell? Contact me and I’ll help you get in touch with people who would treasure it. Again, in all transparency: I will not be selling it for you – I will simply provide guidance on how to find a buyer who truly appreciates it.

Oman Adorned: an exceptional book

Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver is not just a phenomenal book in its wide variety of jewellery types, but very much also because of its rich and detailed social, historical and cultural context. This book is way more than a catalogue of things: it truly is a portrait of this beautiful country as seen through its jewellery.

More information on Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver

Title: Oman Adorned. A Portrait in Silver. By Dr. Miranda Morris & Pauline Shelton, 1997. 362 pages, full colour, in English.

Published by Apex Publishing, Muscat 7 London.

I purchased this book in a second-hand bookstore online.

Where can I find more on traditional jewellery from Southwest Asia and North Africa?

More book reviews of jewellery books? Browse them all here!

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Looking for background information on your jewellery? Have a look at the courses – there’s so much available on the world of the jewellery from North Africa and the Middle East!

Would you like to quote this article? Please do! 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].

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.

Tuareg silver&carnelian ring

Tuareg silver&carnelian ring

Treasures of the Sahara

Tuareg silver rings with carnelian

Published Dec 13, 2023

You have probably seen them often: those beautiful silver Tuareg rings with a big, glowing, pointy carnelian. They make formidable jewels, but what are they called? Who wore these rings? And are they actual finger rings? I mean, doesn’t that carnelian break…?

Tuareg silver rings with a pointy carnelian: where are they from?

Like any other culture, the Tuareg are not a single group. They consist of many tribes, who inhabit a vast area across the Sahara: from North African countries such as Algeria, Tunisia and Libya to sub-Saharan countries as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. [1]

The silver rings with a carnelian likely find their origin in Mali, according to Burner. [2] Over time, their use spread to other regions of the Sahara as well. The rings in the photo above (click on it to enlarge it) were all sourced in Mali.

Tuareg rings with carnelian: what are they called?

Names of things are notoriously varied in living cultures who are spread over a wide region. These rings, too, go by different names.

First, they are called simply what they are: a ring, or tassandert in Tamasheq. That name is the basic name for the category they belong to. In the north, notably in the Hoggar in Algeria, but in adjacent northern Mali as well, the basic name for ring is tiseq (sometimes also spelled tisek). [3] Another word for ring is shisandar.

This ring with the pointy carnelian in particular resembles another form of jewellery called tanfuk. Because of this similarity, these rings also go by the name of tanfuk – even though they are a different thing. [4]

And finally, another name for these particular rings hints at how they are worn: tassandert ‘n zakat means ‘ring-pendant’. And I know you probably have been wondering how to wear a ring with a huge spikey carnelian and still go about your daily business…so let’s get into that next!

Are those Tuareg rings worn on the finger?

Yes – and no! (by now, you did not really expect a straightforward answer, did you…?) These ornaments can be worn in a variety of ways, and that makes them so interesting.

They are worn on the fingers by both women and men. There is no strict placement on the fingers, although the ring finger is preferred, but they can be worn on any other finger.

Apart from finger rings, you will also find these strung on a leather cord and worn around the neck. That is more often the case in women’s dress. Usually, this will be in combination with other pendants: they can flank amulet cases (tcherot), appear strung together with beads, tanfuk or zinder pendants as well as with the famous variety of ‘crosses’. You’ll see photos of these in the gallery below: click on the photos to enlarge them.

And they appear braided into the hair as well! [5] As with all living heritage, the decision how to wear it is up to the wearers themselves. There are no strict ‘rules’ when it comes to these Tuareg rings: their use is varied by design. These are very versatile ornaments!

" Rings are versatile: they can be worn in many ways"

How to tell the difference between finger rings and pendants?

You might be thinking ‘So how do I know if a ring is meant to be worn on the finger, or as a pendant?‘ Burner gives us a first clue: when the ring itself is either super tiny, or super large, this indicates it is not meant to be worn on the finger. [6]

Usually, the rings with a smaller carnelian are suitable to be worn on the fingers. Examples of these are shown in the photographs above – click on the images to enlarge them. In these rings, you will see the silver setting has worn smooth, as has the pointy tip of the carnelian itself. In everyday life, the ring has rubbed against clothing, bags, tents, hair….and it has gained a smooth wear as a result. But take note: expecially these smaller ones are very suitable to wear braided into the hair, too.

The huge carnelians with serrated sides and sharp points, as shown in the first image with this post (click on the photo to enlarge it) are more likely to be worn as a pendant. Here, you will notice more wear on the inner band, where the continuous movement on a string has left its mark. The carnelian itself feels sharp to the touch (look for the edges in particular).

Carnelian: its meaning for the Tuareg

The use of carnelian, as well as other agates, is also meaningful. It has a strong protective aspect. As in many other cultures, carnelian is associated with blood and life through its colour. [7]

Many of these rings are set with red glass instead of carnelian. That does not make them any less valuable or real: red glass is often used as a substitute, that has become an equally valid material. See more about how that works, and how we look at jewellery, here.

And from glass, it is a small step to green glass imitating green agates. The colour of greenery and growth carries deep meaning in a desert environment.

Tuareg silver and carnelian rings: living heritage

So, as you see, the names as well as the uses of this particular type of Tuareg ring vary over time, and geographically. For Tuareg craftsmen and wearers of today, they may carry different meaning depending on who you ask. And that is a very important thing to bear in mind.

Because as Seligman has shown, the meaning attributed to symbols and shapes among Tuareg craftsmen changed significantly over the course of two generations. [8] That is because jewellery is never static. These rings represent a living, breathing, changing culture in their many shapes, forms and names: a sparkling testimony of the beauty and resilience of Tuareg culture!

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References

[1] See the work of Michel Vallet for a great overview, with maps.

[2] Burner, J. 2011. Bijoux Touaregs. Editions du Fournel, p. 271.

[3] Burner, J. 2011. Bijoux Touaregs. Editions du Fournel, p. 260.

[4] Burner, J. 2011. Bijoux Touaregs. Editions du Fournel, p. 271.

[5] Vaudour, C. 2019. Les Tenues des Touaregs. Fonds documentaire de Michel Vallet, p. 260-261.

[6] Burner, J. 2011. Bijoux Touaregs. Editions du Fournel, p. 271.

[7] See Seligman, T. & K. Loughran (eds) 2006. Art of Being Tuareg. Sahara Nomads in a Modern World, p. 184 for Tuareg jewellery in particular, and my own book Desert Silver for an overview of amulets and colour symbolism.

[8] Seligman, T. & K. Loughran (eds) 2006. Art of Being Tuareg. Sahara Nomads in a Modern World, p. 222-223.

 

Would you like to quote this article? Please do! 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].

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.