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!

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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!

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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.

Foulet Khamsa

Foulet Khamsa

by | Magic & Amulets

amulets and magic

Foulet khamsa: an amulet from Morocco

Published Dec 25, 2023

This piece is called a foulet khamsa. It’s an ornament from Morocco, and it carries a surprising connection in its name – one that is rarely explicitly addressed. So I’m spilling the beans: what is this jewel, where and how was it worn, and what does it mean?

A foulet khamsa from Morocco, with a bright green glass cabochon.

Foulet khamsa: what is it?

Foulet khamsa, also spelled fult khamsa, is a large pendant with four distinct lobes. You’ll see an example in the image above: click to enlarge it. The ornament is made of two pieces of sheet silver that have been embossed. In the centre is a green glass inset.

Normally, they would be in good silver, but the one I’m showing you here is in low-grade silver. It has been pretty banged up during it’s life: you see the dents, and it has a new loop soldered onto it.⁠ This piece has lived for sure!

Foulet khamsa: what does it really mean?

The spelling foulet is in French transliteration, because Morocco has long been colonized by the French. Click here to see how colonization still affects our understanding through things like spelling.

So what is that ‘foulet‘? It’s the Arabic fūl – yes, like the delicious dish fūl. It means ‘fava bean’, and its plural is fūlāt [1]. This piece of jewellery, too, is named after food! Click here to find out more on why that is not crazy – food is often used as metaphor in jewellery. So, foulet khamsa roughly translates to ‘Khamsa of Beans’ or ‘Bean Khamsa‘.

What is the relation between this ornament and a fava bean…? First, the four lobes of the ornament resemble fava beans in their shape. But throughout North Africa, fava beans carry additional significance. They are among the staple foods, but they also are considered to bring good luck. Because of their bright green appearance when they’re fresh, they are associated with growth, fertility, and in particular with produce of the earth. [2] The other image above is indeed of fresh, green fava beans: click to enlarge it and see how juicy these look!

‘Foulet Khamsa means ‘khamsa of beans’ or ‘bean khamsa’ – it’s an extra special khamsa‘

Foulet khamsa: how are they worn?

Pendants like these were worn on a necklace, or suspended from a belt. Eudel attributes this difference in wearing to regional preferences. He notes that women in Marrakech wear the foulet khamsa on their chest, as a necklace. Women in Tanger and more towards the coast, on the other hand, wore it attached to their belt. [3] Von Kemnitz writes that smaller ones were used as pendant, and larger examples as belt ornaments. [4] I think the reality is flexible as always, as there are examples of photographs showing women wearing quite sizeable pieces on a necklace.

Foulet khamsa: who would wear them?

Tanger, where Eudel saw them suspended as a belt ornament, is in the north of Morocco. Apparently the foulet khamsa was worn there in the early 20th century. Later books only refer to the southern part of the Atlantic coast, between roughly Essaouira and Tiznit. [5]

So, this ornament was popular along the coast. It disappeared in the north at some point, but continued to be popular along the southern Atlantic coast. The pieces made in Essaouira are among the finest decorated foulet khamsa in their intricate designs. The foulet khamsa was worn by both Muslim and Jewish women: its use is more regionally defined than by faith. [6]

How is this ornament a khamsa?

And now for the obvious question! Khamsa means ‘five’. This ornament has four lobes. So how is this a khamsa…?⁠ The trick is that these are called khamsa because of their entire design.

See that green glass inset in the centre? Together with the four circular details around it, that makes five. [7] Alternatively, if we interpret the lobes as bright green fava beans, the green glass in the center would make that five, too. However, not all foulet khamsa carry green glass: they are known with various other colours of glass, too, as well as semi-precious stones. [7]

It’s not always immediately obvious how the number 5 is worked into jewellery, but once you recognize the pattern, it’s easy to see!⁠ Click here to learn how to spot numerology in jewellery.

Foulet khamsa: a layered amulet

Some examples of the foulet khamsa stress this importance through additional hands integrated in their decoration. [9] The ornament pictured above may even have had additional hands, but they are too damaged to be sure. On the individual lobes, you may also find other forms enhancing their power, such as fish or birds. [10] The vegetal motifs on the ornament also reinforce the combination of the power of fava beans and the magic of the number five: a layered, beautiful amulet!

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References

[1] Already noted by Eudel 1906, Dictionnaire des Bijoux, p. 75. He adds that it also is used to indicate the nut in a firearm.

[2] Westermarck 1905, in his article Midsummer Customs in Morocco, mentions the use of fava beans to ensure a good crop in the coming harvest season (p. 36). Edmond Doutté 1909, Magie et Religion de l’Afrique du Nord, shares examples of fava beans used in festivities notably in Algeria.

[3] Eudel 1906, Dictionnaire des Bijoux, p. 75.

[4] Eva-Maria von Kemnitz 2023, Hand of Fatima, Brill Publishers, p. 51.

[5] As defined by Grammet 1998, De Juwelen, in: Magisch Marokko, p. 300. Von Kemnitz 2023, p. 50 also places these in southern coastal towns with Essaouira and Marrakech as its most important production centers. Rabaté & Goldenberg 1999, Bijoux du Maroc, p. 195 also mention the southern towns.

[6] They are for example also featured in A. Muller-Lancet, D. Champault & Y. Fischer (eds), La Vie Juive au Maroc, p. 131.

[7] Rabaté & Goldenberg 1999, Bijoux du Maroc, p. 195 mentions this explanation as well.

[8] Von Kemnitz 2023, Hand of Fatima, p. 49-51 for a description and materials used in the foulet khamsa. Here, only the khamsa in the name is addressed, and the significance of the fava beans left out.

[9] See Grammet 1998, De Juwelen, in: Magisch Marokko, p. 300 & 302 for an example, as well as Von Kemnitz 2023, p. 51.

[10] See Rabaté & Goldenberg 1999, Bijoux du Maroc, p. 197 for examples.

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

by | Objects

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.

Tuareg silver&carnelian ring

Tuareg silver&carnelian ring

by | Objects

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…?

A set of 9 Tuareg silver and carnelian rings.

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!

Three silver and agate rings from the Tuareg.
Four Tuareg rings with translucent green glass.

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).

Tuareg rings with glass and carnelian, paired with Tuareg zinder pendants

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.

 

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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.