Quick guide: how do amulet cases open?

Quick guide: how do amulet cases open?

by | Magic & Amulets

Islamic amulet containers

Quick guide: how do amulet cases open?

Published Feb 05, 2024

Amulet cases look straightforward at first glance – until you try to open one. Across North Africa and Southwest Asia, silver containers called hirz were made to hold folded texts or small protective items, and their opening mechanisms can be surprisingly diverse. Some use a slider lid, others a hinged cap, and a few hide the opening in the decoration. In this post, part of my series on amulets in jewellery, I’ll walk you through the most common constructions, what the exterior hardware can tell you, and why – sometimes – the most responsible choice is not to open an amulet case at all.

How amulet cases open

Before you dive in: this article shows the three main types of silver amulet cases and their historic development. It may be useful to scroll through this one again to refresh your memory. So, let’s see how these open!

Amulet case type 1: how to open tubular amulet cases

These invariably open on the side. One of the caps at the end functions as the lid. This is clearly visible with the Yemeni container shown above (click to enlarge the photos).

Often, you may find the opening cap integrated into the chainwork, as shown above with the Egyptian cases, or sporting a suspension loop of its own as in the container from Iran.

This is an extra failsafe in case the container opens: the cap would still be attached to the chain.

Amulet case type 2: how to open slim rectangular, square and triangular amulet cases

These may open in two different ways: using a sliding mechanism on one of the sides or its top, or by removing the cap on either side.

The triangular case from Egypt, shown above, has a sliding lid that opens by pulling the upper suspension loop (the one on top)

Amulet case type 3: how to open larger amulet boxes

These usually have a lid that can be removed, much like a locket. The hinge often doubles as suspension loop.

Spendid silver fibula set from Algeria
A stunning silver and coral necklace from Yemen.

Closed amulet cases: containers that cannot be opened

Not all amulet containers can be opened. That may be because the cap or lid has been welded shut, and I would advise to leave it that way. We’re not supposed to see what’s inside.

But a much more common reason is that many of the designs were created without an opening in the first place. That is for example the case with the jewellery shown above. All of these carry amulet cases in one form or another, and none of these can be opened. The Tunisian pendant is even designed as a bead in the shape of a cylindrical amulet case: the chain runs right through it.

Their shape associates them with their presumed contents: it’s not so much ‘form follows function’, but rather ‘form takes over function’.

How to spot if and where an amulet container opens

Observe the construction of your amulet container very closely. Look for seams, edges or lines that suggest a point of separation. This can be a thin line around the edges that the other end does not have, or a small gap. If the amulet is firmly closed, this may be nearly impossible to spot.

Sliding mechanisms usually have either small ridges or grooves, or tiny protrusions (and that could be the suspension loop from which the pendant itself hangs). Both serve to facilitate the sliding.

Hinges are usually visible: here as well, look for any seams or gaps that may indicate the lid is openable.

Should you open amulet containers….?

If you decide to inspect your amulet containers for opening mechanisms, I’d advise to do so very carefully. Avoid the use of excessive force to pry them open, as vintage to antique objects damage easily. If the lid is jammed, welded shut or stuck otherwise, leave it be.

I’d also advise to consider the reasons for opening an amulet container. When you’re studying its contents, it may contribute a great deal to our understanding of the culture the wearer comes from. But afterwards, perhaps it would be best to put its contents back inside.

Its contents were not meant to be seen by anyone but the wearer, so from that point of view, it would be a sign of respect not to open them, or at least to keep their contents private. Whatever is inside, it once made someone feel secure and safe – a feeling we can easily honour.

Conclusion: function before ornament

Understanding how an amulet case opens starts with recognising its function. The lid, loops, and cord channels were designed to protect contents that mattered—texts, blessings, and personal safeguards. For collectors and curators, that means reading the object before handling it: identify the mechanism, note weaknesses, and consider the ethical and conservation implications. In many cases, the amulet’s meaning is preserved best by leaving it closed. These are objects of belief first and ornament second, and their construction tells that story clearly.

Frequently Asked Questions about amulet cases

Why do some amulet cases refuse to open?
Many were closed tightly to protect the contents. Old repairs, corrosion, or grit in slider grooves can also jam the mechanism.

What types of openings do amulet cases use?
The most common are slider lids (a sleeve pushed along a track), hinged caps with tiny pins, and end caps that twist or pull.

How can I tell where the opening is?
Look for joins in the metal, a slightly raised track for sliders, or a small pin at one end for hinges. Cord channels are not openings.

Is it safe to open an amulet case?
Often no. Contents can be fragile paper or organic material; forcing a mechanism risks damage. When in doubt, consult a conservator.

What might be inside an amulet case?
Folded or rolled text (prayer, verse, numbers), tiny written charms, or occasionally small inclusions like threads or beads.

—

What is inside amulet cases and how were they used? Find out in the e-course on amulets & charms!

More posts on amulets? Browse them all here!

Join the Jewellery List and receive new articles, jewellery news and more in your inbox!

—

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.

Spanish pillar dollar

Spanish pillar dollar

by | Objects

Coins in jewellery

The Spanish Pillar Dollar in Middle Eastern jewellery

Published Jan 10, 2024

Here is a coin that has been very popular in North Africa and the Middle East for centuries! And what is more, its name is still pronounced many times a day, and it captures popular imagination – even yours, although you may not realize it yet… But when it comes to jewellery from the Middle East & North Africa, this is one of the forgotten coins. Its obscurity is totally undeserved, however, so let’s look at the many lives of the pillar dollar!

Pillar dollar: what is it?

The pillar dollar is among the very first machine-tooled coins. Before that, coins were struck manually. The size and even the silver content of coins had varied greatly since Antiquity, but these new Spanish coins? They were something else! They always had the same shape, size, weight and decoration – they were reliable. [1]

The pillar dollar was produced from 1732 onwards. These coins get their name from the two pillars of Hercules on the reverse. These refer to the two rock formations in the Street of Gibraltar. You’ll see in the image above (and in the detailed photos below) that the pillars flank a crowned coat of arms: a not-so-subtle way of saying Spain dominated both the old and the new world.

And that new world is where these coins were produced. The denominations of 8, 4, 2, 1 and .50 Spanish reales (pronounced ‘ray-al-es’) were made of silver mined in Middle America. The coins were exported to Europe: just imagine those galleons, loaded with treasure chests brimming with actual money, sailing across the Atlantic….and you’ll get why all the classic piracy tales involve ‘pieces of eight’ – those are the 8 reales coins.

Pillar dollar and the world economy

That eight reales coin grew increasingly popular because its silver content was consistent, and it was widely available. It was, in other words, a stable coin that would not lose its value any time soon.

It was widely used in the Ottoman Empire, and so you will find it labeled with many names in Turkish:  it was variously referred to as kara kuruş, kebir kuruş, tamam kuruş, real kuruş and riyal.

And that is how it ends up being pronounced hundreds of times a day- today! Riyal is a derivate of its Spanish name, real. It remained the word of choice in Arabic to indicate official coins. [2]

Pillar dollars in jewellery from the Middle East & North Africa

Before banks, before plastic money and cryptocurrency, jewellery was the way to go for building up capital and emergency resources. Coins were worn on clothing and in jewellery: as savings, but certainly also to show off.⁠ The value of coins was, like jewellery itself, in their content of precious metal: even when it had been altered, its silver value would still be valuable.⁠ And the pillar dollar was a prized coin, precisely because of its silver content.

In Egypt, the coin was often worn as pendant on a necklace, like the coin shown above. This is an actual pillar dollar from 1817. In Egypt, the coin was called Abu Madfa, Father of Cannons: the Pillars of Hercules were interpreted as cannons.

Because of that interpretation, the coin soon became a much sought-after amulet as well: as cannons are made of iron, a material that jinn are afraid of, wearing a coin that showed two sizeable cannons would surely keep them at a distance!

A Spanish imitation pillar dollar in a silver necklace from southern Egypt.

Pillar dollars: imitation coins in jewellery

Because of this huge popularity, both as currency and as adornment, the pillar dollar was imitated at a large scale. That is more a matter of ‘keeping up appearances’ than actively engaging with counterfeit money – no one expected to be paid in fake pillar dollars, but wearing them sure looked good from a distance!

And for its function as an amulet, it really did not matter much if the coin was real: as long as those pillars were on it, it was all good. The gallery above shows a few of those imitations of the pillar dollar, in varying degrees of success: all of these were used in jewellery and adornment from the Middle East and North Africa.

The pillar dollar: a universal coin in jewellery

So you see how this coin once was of great importance for trade and commerce. But coins like these have many lives: as currency, as adornment, as amulet, and also as collected object. It’s never just one thing, and that makes these pieces so meaningful!⁠

This blog is based on my book Desert Silver.

—

More posts on the stories objects may hold? Browse them all here!

Join the Jewellery List and receive new articles, jewellery news and more in your inbox!

More on the use of coins in jewellery from the Middle East and North Africa? Check out the course on Dowry & Status!

—

References

[1] Schienerl, P.W. 1981. Spanish/Mexican Dollars in Egypt: Currency – Raw material for Silversmiths – Ornament – Amulet, in: Ornament 5 (3).

[2] Some collectors have taken to call the pillar dollar riyal, too, instead of real: an interesting form of reversing this linguistic journey.

 

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.

Parfums d’Orient: book

Parfums d’Orient: book

by | Reviews

Institut du Monde Arabe

Parfums d’Orient: the catalogue

Published on Jan 8, 2024

The wonderful exhibition Parfums d’Orient, in the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, came with its very own publication. The book, too, is called Parfums d’Orient, and it is as beautiful as the exhibition itself.

Ancient stone incense burner from the Arab Peninsula

Parfums d’Orient: the catalogue

The book presents 26 essays by renowned authors. The essays are grouped into four main parts: natural resources for perfumes, the art of perfuming oneself, fragrance and the invisible world, and fragrance in and around the house. As such, the catalogue follows the design of the exhibition and paints a complete picture of the world of fragrance.

The book starts out with an introduction of fragrance. How does it affect our mood? Why is it important to have around us? And how does our sense of smell actually work? A series of essays sets the scene to understand the role of fragrance in our personal lives, and the cultural interconnectivity that perfumes from the Middle East represent.

Parfums d’Orient: the bounty of nature

The first essays are devoted to ingredients and perfume history. I enjoyed the beautifully illustrated essays on Damascene rose, oud, ambergris and musk. The historical background explains how scented paths crossed, resulting in the familiar fragrances of today, while the essay on the perfumer’s art sheds light on both the past and the future of perfuming.

Parfums d’Orient: perfuming oneself

The second part explores the realm of science and history. Here, we learn of medieval manuscripts with perfume recipes, the trade in incense and the beautifully designed perfume flasks. An exploration into the bath house reveals the use of fragrance in relation to health and well-being.

I really liked the personal point of view on perfuming in the essay on perfume and art: imagine, indeed, losing your sense of smell as a result of the pandemic. Suddenly, the world becomes one-dimensional and plain; fragrance is of greater importance than we might think.

Parfums d’Orient: fragrance and the invisible world

Now this is one of my favourite angles, and if you have taken my course Scents of the Middle East, you’ll have seen why! Fragrance itself is like an invisible power that may affect our happiness and sense of wellbeing. This part of the catalogue addresses that supernatural capacity of scent throughout the ages.

Ancient Egypt, early Christianity and Judaism as well as Islam have their own spiritual connotations with fragrance, and these are explored in separate essays. The special essay on fumigations and magic is short, but fascinating!

Parfums d’Orient: perfume in and around the house

And this is where the jewellery is….! Scented paste and fragrant beads are shown in relation to the intimacy of marriage, adding yet another layer to the meanings perfume may carry. That extends to perfuming one’s guests and spicing dishes, both of which are discussed, too.

Parfums d’Orient: art, research, history, science

The catalogue is beautifully illustrated, showing you everything from ancient artefacts to modern art, from sweeping landscape views to medieval manuscripts. What I really loved about this book is that it seamlessly integrates the historical and cultural background of fragrance with art and lived experiences. As such, it really conveys the importance of the senses for our everyday existence. Fragrance is part and parcel of every aspect of life, and the exhibition catalogue absolutely brings that point across.

Parfums d’Orient. By Hanna Boghanim and Agnes Carayon (eds) (2023). 223 pages, full-colour, in French. Published by Institut du Monde Arabe/Skira.

Available with the publisher and in the museum shop of the Institut du Monde Arabe.

I purchased the book in the museum shop of the Institut du Monde Arabe upon my visit of the exhibition.

—

Explore the world of fragrance in the course Scents of the Middle East!

More posts on exhibitions and museums? Browse them all here!

Join the Jewellery List and receive new articles, jewellery news and more in your inbox!

—

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.

Islamic amulet cases

Islamic amulet cases

by | Magic & Amulets

History of amulet containers

Types of Islamic amulet cases

Published Jan 1, 2024

What is the origin of Islamic amulet cases? Often called hirz, higab or taweez they come in various shapes and forms, and those forms tell us more about their history. These cases hold (Islamic) talismans, and the nature of this talisman is hinted at by the shape of the container. Because ‘form follows function’ is not just a designer’s oneliner: looking at the shape of an amulet container is very revealing of its historic origins and its setting.

This post brings you up to speed with the 3 elementary shapes of amulet cases – it takes less than 3 minutes!

Amulet case type 1: Tubular amulet cases

These go way back! Evidence backing up the use of amulet cases in the shape of a tube already stems from ancient Egypt, as the example above shows (click the image to enlarge it). In Iraq, an alabaster jar excavated near Baghdad contained ten amulet cases. [1] The shape of all these containers is revealing of two things: their long-gone contents, and the incredible time span they have been in use.

Tubular amulet cases are designed to hold scrolls. You’ll see some examples of Islamic amulets for protection above (click to enlarge the photos). These you would roll up and insert them into the amulet case.

This is a practice that stems from the times that writing was done mainly on papyrus sheets. These can’t be folded very well (although it happened occasionally, but it was never considered a huge success), so they were usually rolled into scrolls. Large scrolls would contain complete books, and tiny scrolls could accommodate just a few words. Like spells, or religious texts.

The scroll as the essential form of a written amulet is so old, that once paper was invented, the practice of writing, and even printing, the use of talismanic scrolls continued. [2] Never change a winning form, right?

Amulet case type 2: Slim rectangular, square and triangular amulet cases

When writing materials changed, a new shape of amulet cases popped up. Unlike papyrus, paper can easily be folded, and tucked into a rectangular or square amulet case. In the Mediterranean, this form of amulet case started to develop in the early Middle Ages.

These can contain more than just a sheet of paper: they may hold complete books. When books began to be designed in the form we know today (a bunch of pages held together by a spine and two covers), they could also be created in miniature form.

A special style of Islamic case is the Qur’an holder, which contains a complete version of the Qur’an.

Triangular amulet cases were created even later. These may also hold written texts or prayers, but here their form is important, too: it refers to the number 3. Click here for the surprising ways numerology is present in jewellery!

Amulet case type 3: Larger amulet boxes

An entirely different form is that of the amulet box. Here, the amulet case is shaped like a box. Its opening is significantly larger than that of a regular, slim amulet container: these often have an actual lid instead of a narrow, letterbox-like slot. The amulet box also has more space inside.

This design is also very old. Above you’ll see some examples: a gold amulet box called bulla, and a gold necklace holding such an amulet box. Click on the images to enlarge them and to see the accompanying captions.

Originally, box-like amulet cases are not designed to hold texts, but things. Their origins lie in the use of amulet pouches. Based on the advice of a healer or ritual practitioner, the boxes would hold magical materials that were believed to be helpful.

Later on, they were also used to hold folded pieces of paper, custom-made miniature books, and fragrance. Today, they may hold a variety of things, from very personal mementoes to texts, fragrances, prayers and more.

Islamic amulet cases: rooted in a long history

All of these forms are still used in Islamic amulet cases of North Africa and the Middle East. Above are some examples from Tunisia, Syria, Oman, Yemen, Egypt and Iraq. And of course, these basic shapes are not limited to the Islamic world: protecting oneself is one of the oldest human traditions, and as such similar shapes are found worldwide. Looking at the shape of a jewel may tell you a lot about its historic origin and uses!

…and in case you’re wondering how amulet cases actually open: Read this quick guide next!

—

What is inside amulet cases and how were they used? Find out in the e-course on amulets & charms!

More posts on amulets? Browse them all here!

Join the Jewellery List and receive new articles, jewellery news and more in your inbox!

—

References

[1] Read more about this find here with the Metropolitan Museum of Art

[2] See for block printed talismanic scrolls K. Schaefer 2022, The material nature of block printed amulets: what makes them amulets?

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.

100 jewellery blogs

100 jewellery blogs

by | Opinion

Jewellery blogging

100 jewellery blogs

Published Dec 29, 2023

This piece is the 100th blog on jewellery! Would you believe it? Time truly flies. A lot can happen in 100 blog articles, and so I wanted to share more of personal perspective on the things I learned during these 100 blogs on jewellery from the Middle East and North Africa. Settle in for the good, the bad and the amazing of blogging on traditional jewellery!

Collecting silver jewellery from the Middle East and North Africa

But first, a little on how I got into this! I started collecting jewellery back in 1995. At that time, I was a student of Egyptology, and I loved hanging out in Cairo’s Khan el-Khalili to look for old jewellery. It still feels like yesterday, even though it’s almost 30 years ago.

Now in those days, the Internet was not what it was today. Social media were not invented yet (I know! Shocker!), having a personal email address was new, and any information still traveled slowly. These were the days that a computer was a big plastic box that could handle all of 250 MB, most households still had one telephone in a fixed place, and when I went to Egypt to work on an excavation, chances were my family would receive my letters only after I had returned.

That went both ways: the most exciting part of working on an excavation was heading out to Cairo once a week, and check if letters from friends and family had been delivered.

So that tells you two things: yes, I am that old, and there was very little reliable info on jewellery around when I just started out. The excitement when a new book appeared on jewellery was just as intense as that feeling of joy when a handwritten letter had found its way to me in Cairo – wow! Something new to read!

A silver amulet container from Egypt, placed on handwritten Arabic magic squares

Blogging on traditional jewellery from North Africa and the Middle East

How different things are today – there is so much out there on all things jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia! At just a click of a mouse or a tap of the finger, there is a world of images and info available that I only could have dreamed of all those years ago. To me, it is absolutely fantastic to browse Pinterest-boards and chat with people from all over the world through social media who share that passion for traditional jewellery.

But…that is also where the flip side is, I think: in the lightning speed with which information travels the Internet and our ever-shortening attention span. When I do online research, I come across the same tidbits of info repeated again and again. Absolutely, there is so much interesting stuff out there! That also includes tons of content that is copied and shared over and over again, but not necessarily always true or even reliable. More, yes, but not always better.

Jewellery blogging: all the good

That is partly why I decided to start a blog. The other reason, of course, is that I just love talking about jewellery! And, as it happens, I also really, really love to write.

By starting my own blog, I could write about everything I find fascinating or beautiful about traditional jewellery – and that is a lot. A hundred posts on jewellery from the Middle East and North Africa, and it feels like I’m just getting started!

The absolute amazing part of blogging is the number of people I have ‘met’ through blog posts or social media posts. I could never have dreamed of the community I found simply by writing about jewellery, and starting a blog honestly is one of the best decisions I ever made.

Nerding out in the notes: jewellery blogging with transparency

Blogging provides me with the opportunity to add solid information to the digital world. And one of the things I learned in the past 100 jewellery blogs is that I prefer to include references. At the end of most of my blog articles, you will find the exact place where I got specific information from. If it’s available online, I include a link to it. If someone told me, I am clear about that, too.

I want to be as transparent as possible on where I get my information from. Providing clear references helps all of us with our own research. That’s why referencing is standard practice in published articles, and I don’t see why I should not apply the same to blog posts. You can always skip them, they’re at the bottom end for a reason!

Detail of coins and beads on a bright red Palestinian headdress

Blogging on jewellery collection management

There is a segment to jewellery collecting that does not get all that much attention online: how to actually manage a collection of traditional jewellery from the Middle East and North Africa? There are practical aspects to consider like cleaning silver, storing and documenting, but what to do with your jewellery collection later in life? Sell it, donate it…and how to go about that?

And then there are the ethical and legal aspects to consider. What about coral beads, ivory bangles, excavated beads, archaeological jewellery…can these just be bought and sold? And what is this whole provenance-discussion about, specifically for collectors of traditional jewellery from the Middle East and Southwest Asia?

I decided to blog about those practical things, too, and over the past 100 blogs I learned that these tips for jewellery collectors are among the articles that you refer back to most often. I’m really glad to be of help in this way!

Sigrid van Roode, wearing a summer dress, reading books on Tuareg jewellery

Blogging about jewellery books

Even though the digital world is amazing, I adore books. There are a lot more of those since I first started out, too, and one of things I love doing the most is reviewing the latest books on jewellery and related fields for you. Opening that package straight from the publisher still brings the same level of excitement as 30 years ago! I guess I’m one of the biggest book nerds you’ll ever meet.

Over the past 100 jewellery book blogs, I learned that you like these posts: they are appreciated by people who are on the fence on whether or not to buy a particular jewellery book, and by people looking for titles they might enjoy.

Here as well, I found that being transparent adds to the value of the blog: I’ll always mention whether I received a book as an advanced reading copy, or if I purchased it myself, whether it was gifted by the author, or any other way a book may have found its way to me.

The tarnish on jewellery blogging: copyright things

Blogging sounds simple, but it is not the marshmallow-hued world of sipping latte’s in fashionable coffeerooms that the Internet would have you think of: a lot of work goes into these articles. Especially if you’d like your photos to look nice and your texts to be referenced. Writing blog posts just takes serious time.

And then suddenly, there is that first realization that someone has copied your work, copyright policy nothwithstanding. That is a reality I learned in 100 blog posts, too.

Here are some examples of things that actually happened. Please forgive me if the following sounds blunt! But I promised you the bad, too, so here we go.

I’ve had some of my photos decapitated to cut off the ‘Bedouin Silver’-text (granted, the text was at the bottom of the image, so it’s more like defooted) – and in doing so, part of the object on the photo was removed, too. It’s beyond me how anyone could want to pass off a photo as their own so badly they would purposefully damage the image itself, too.

I’ve had people copy my social media posts and present it as their own. It happens a lot with the texts I wrote with those posts: these I regularly find literally copy-pasted into online sellers’ descriptions; without acknowledging that it was not them who researched and wrote those lines.

A special shout-out at this point to jewellery dealers with online galleries of traditional jewellery: I know your images are getting snatched, too, and presented in shady online shops as if they were for sale. I feel you!

But: it gets even crazier. I’ve seen people give talks in which their presentation sheets were made of my photos and texts, but without a single credit line. That has happened to other researchers I know, too, one of which actually attended a talk made largely with her material. It made for a super awkward Q&A.

To be completely honest with you, it still hurts each and every time I see my work copied and shared without proper credit. I can’t think of another label to put on that feeling. I don’t mind the sharing itself (on the contrary, I’d say!) but please do me the courtesy of acknowledging my time and effort.

Well, that was it for the bad! After writing 100 posts though, I can confidently say that the good outweighs everything else. So…

…another 100 jewellery blogs coming up!

All of the appreciation, friendship and community (as well as the occasional copyright infringements) I get, signal one thing: apparently, this type of jewellery blog is just the thing people are looking for.

I honestly love receiving your feedback, the friendships that have formed over the years and the lively jewellery discussions I have had. I’ll be blogging away on this end, and I’m excited to continue contributing to the jewellery community of collectors, researchers and scholars.

Another 100 jewellery blogs…? Coming right up!

—

Join the Jewellery List and receive new articles, jewellery news and more in your inbox!

More historical background on jewellery from the Middle East and North Africa? Check out the course on Ancient Jewellery!

—

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.