Organizing: 5 quick tips

Organizing: 5 quick tips

by | Tips for collectors

five tips

Keeping track: 5 quick tips

Keeping track of your collection is essential: if you have not already, read 5 reasons why that matters here. But how to get started with that? Here are 5 quick tips on how to organize your collection!

Keep detailed records: Keeping detailed records of your collection is essential for documentation. This can include information such as the date of acquisition, the source of the piece, the materials used, any marks or hallmarks, and any other relevant information.

Use high-quality images: Take high-quality images of each piece in your collection. These images should be clear, well-lit, and taken from different angles. Label the images with information such as the piece’s number (if you have assigned one), and the date. Read more about photographing jewellery in this book. Pro-tip: take an image of the backside, too! Too often only the front side gets photographed, but the reverse can be instrumental in cases of theft or other disasters.

Keep copies of any paperwork: Keep copies of any paperwork that may be associated with a piece of jewellery, such as invoices, receipts, export papers, and appraisals. This can provide valuable information about the piece’s history and origin and build up the provenance in case you should decide to sell them later. Add these to your records.

Store your documentation securely: Not just your jewellery, but also its documentation and accompanying images should be safe. Store your documentation and images securely: a fireproof safe for actual original photos (those endless rolls of film from before the 90’s, for example) or a secure digital storage system for digital images and documentation. This will help to protect your records from damage or loss. An essential point for your insurance!

Share your documentation: This is an important point! Share your documentation and images with other collectors and experts. That is not to say you should put your entire collection online including its purchase details, but sharing images of your pieces online along with whatever you know about it, can provide valuable information about your collection. After all, the collective knowledge out there is enormous!

Of course, documentation can be time-consuming and it is simply not always possible to document everything about a piece. However, having a good documentation can help you and others to understand the significance of your collection, and it can also help you to take care of your pieces properly.

More tips on how to get started with collection management and how to set up a system is in this free e-book: happy documenting!

Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. She considers jewellery heritage and a historic source. She has authored several books on jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, and on archaeological jewellery. Sigrid has lectured for the Society of Jewellery Historians, the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden and the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, among many others. She curates exhibitions and teaches online courses on jewellery from North Africa & Southwest Asia.

Losing sight

Losing sight

by | Opinion

the decline in knowledge

Losing sight

Traditional jewellery is disappearing at a fast rate. It is no longer made in the quantities past generations would need, and it is being sold both in the countries of origin as well as in the regions of the world where collectors live. These days, that is not just ‘the West’, but also for example China: amber and coral are bought in bulk by Chinese collectors. But besides the jewellery itself, another valuable asset is disappearing at an even more alarming speed. That is knowledge about what this jewellery actually is – and what it represents.

That loss of insight is for example visible in the flawed identification of pieces of adornment. Sometimes these can be way off the mark, such as the Bedouin face veil shown in the gallery below. It was offered up for auction as a body ornament/necklace from Turkmenistan (1). The dorsal ornament from Turkmenistan, pictured below as well, was offered as a Saudi jewel. We might have a good laugh about such a mismatch (and I usually do), but the rate in which these appear is indicative of a much more serious matter.

Now you might think ‘Of course these are misidentified, they are being handled by cultural outsiders’ and that would certainly hold true in a number of cases. But incorrect attributions also, and increasingly, occur within the countries of origin themselves. The photograph in the gallery below shows several splendid Yemeni necklaces – I photographed these in the exhibition Splendour and Shine in the Flow of Time. When I posted this photograph on my Instagram-account, I received dozens of messages from Algerian followers insisting this was Algerian. The Turkmen jewellery, which I photographed on the Amsterdam Tribal Jewelry and Textiles Fair, received a lot of attention as well, with many people writing me these pieces were from Kabylia. These are just a few examples: I receive messages every single day of people who genuinely believe a piece of adornment stems from their culture, even if it hails from another continent, another culture, another language family entirely.

The loss of accurate knowledge also manifests in constructed images presenting as reality. Lebanese singer Myriam Fares launched a new music video early in 2022, in which she claimed to dress and perform in Amazigh tradition: the jewels and dress she used in an online dress-up challenge however were random and had very little to do with actual Amazigh adornment. (2)  The comments on this particular post range from appreciation to anger: misrepresenting Amazigh culture on a global stage by an Arab performer is adding insult to injury in an already strained dynamic. Being respectful about adornment has much wider implications than just ‘looking the part’: it includes understanding what jewellery actually means. The photograph of the young woman included in the image gallery (click ‘next’ on the right side of the gallery) is another example of a non-existent, exotic-looking ensemble. Constructed reality in older photographs is a well-known phenomenon, as I addressed in another blog post. It is however still very much alive today, where photos are made specifically to share one narrative or to convey one particular message. There is no such thing as neutral photographs, yet we often accept them as reliable sources of information. When we no longer recognize that a dress is worn the wrong way, or mismatched with ornaments that would not belong with it, the power of misinformation that is shaping our world view will only grow stronger.

Bedouin face veil

Turkmen dorsal ornament

Yemeni necklaces

Turkmen jewellery

Modern mashup

You might also think ‘So what? A wrongly attributed piece, what’s the big deal?’. Incorrectly identifying pieces of adornment is not my point here. That happens all the time, and many of those glitches can be avoided with a little more research. My point is that ascribing pieces of heritage to another culture has consequences. In the continuous struggle for identity and acknowledgement that many cultures face, it is imperative to be aware that spreading misinformation is not helping, to say the least. It can even be outright damaging, if the misattribution occurs willfully and intentionally – rebranding heritage to fit a new narrative is one of the most vicious ways of erasing the past.

Piece by piece, accurate insights in dress and adornment are diluted further with chunks of misinformation that are repeated over and over again – the Internet is as fast as it is patient. Images are easily copied and shared, with the accompanying background information disappearing and being replaced by brief, and often wrong, captions. With the watering down of conducting proper research to simply ‘Googling’, these nuggets of misinformation continue to be repeated and shared. The meticulous work of Wafa Ghnaim of Tatreez and Tea is just one example of the time and effort it takes to bring back the detailed meaning of Palestinian tatreez from the brink of oblivion, and there are many more researchers that work tirelessly to ensure not only material culture survives, but its cultural, social, economic and historic meaning as well. One of the most important factors in this ongoing effort is that the results are shared widely, so they are accessible to people worldwide: the databases of both the Textile Research Centre and the Zay Initiative are just two examples of accessible information.

And we need those efforts more than ever. Because we have now arrived at that point where the transfer of knowledge to the next generation is crucial. If we lose sight of both the details of and the wider world behind adornment, if we let the stories of both wearers and collectors slip through the cracks of time, the remaining jewellery pieces will have lost their voice as a historic source forever.

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Do you own a collection? Please do try and document it as much as possible. Every little note helps! A free guide on how to get started with that is here.

Are you wondering what to do with your collection? Please consider the work of the Qilada Foundation – my non-profit initiative aimed at repatriating collections and everything they represent to their countries of origin.

References

1) Catawiki lot 59513855, auctioned on June 17th 2022

2) The choreography did, however: this was copied straight from a choreography by Kif-Kif Bledi, a group of performers who are known for their deep study of dance and identity. The contemporary twists they add to traditional dance made the choreography easily identifiable as a creation of Kif-Kif Bledi as shown in this video– the intellectual property dispute is still ongoing.

Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. She considers jewellery heritage and a historic source. She has authored several books on jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, and on archaeological jewellery. Sigrid has lectured for the Society of Jewellery Historians, the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden and the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, among many others. She curates exhibitions and teaches online courses on jewellery from North Africa & Southwest Asia.

Magic of Amber

Magic of Amber

by | Magic & Amulets

Magic of amber

amber throughout history

Amber Amulets

Updated Jan 17, 2024

One of the most used components in jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia is amber. This fossilized resin has been popular as adornment since prehistoric times, and has been attributed with a variety of magical capacities throughout millennia. What is the significance of amber? Let’s explore how amber has been the go-to substance in a surprisingly large field of problems!

The power of amber: the Roman period

Amber was already highly valued by the Romans, who attributed a great deal of capacities to this material. It was thought to help against throat diseases, to alleviate fever, solve ear aches and problems with sight, and cure stomach pains and problems in the urinary trajectory. [1]

Notably, amber was believed to be specifically effective for women and children; when a woman dreamt of amber ringer rings, this was considered a beneficial omen. [2]

Its scent may also have played a role in its magical powers: rubbing an amber object firmly produces a resinous fragrance. Evidence of amber dice that have been rubbed vigorously in the past may show that gamers sought to influence their throw by activating the magical powers of amber [3], although, as we shall see, I think its static capacity may also have helped to attract winners’ luck.

The fragrance of amber may also be the reason why it was sometimes burned in ritual settings: archaeology only recovers the remains, but it may have been its smell that was the key behind this practice.

Amber in medieval amulets

Amber continued to be much appreciated in the Middle Ages. What people in Europe thought of its powers only becomes clear in the 13th century, when it is listed in a book on the healing capacities of stones as excellent remedy against stomach ache. [4]

A piece of amber was to be put in wine, beer or water and left to sit there for some time, after which you would take it out and drink the fluid – this method of transferring the magical capacity of a substance to a fluid that can be consumed has existed for millennia.

The use of amber against urinary problems was also still very much alive in the Middle Ages: imbuing milk with amber as described above would lighten your load. Here again, the magic works following the lines of analogy, this time because of its yellow hues.

Coral and amber Draa Valley necklace
A glorious Draa Valley amber and coral necklace with colourful woollen tassels

Amber in amulets from the Middle East

In Arabic, amber is called kahramān. Here another magical use reveals itself: the name is related to kahrabah, meaning electricity. When real amber is rubbed, it becomes slightly static. This makes it an excellent substance to attract the love of a husband, as the Bedouin in Palestine believed. [5]

And who knows, maybe the amber carving of Amor, the god of love, from the Roman period served the same purpose…?

Amber also is very powerful against the evil eye in general. The combination of its fragrance (as was already the case with the Romans) and its quality to keep evil at a distance makes it a highly valued prayer bead: these are also held, rubbed and passed through the fingers many times. [6]

Amber in amulets from North Africa

Like in many other parts of the world, amber is used to dispel teething pains. [7] In a way of analogous magic similar to that of earlier periods and cultures, it is considered a warming and invigorating substance. This is why the Amazigh also consider it very useful against rheuma and respiratory inflictions, as well as against skin diseases.

Additionally, to the Amazigh amber represents the warmth of the sun, and as such forms a natural pair with silver elements that invoke the power of the moon. As amber was so highly valued for its beneficial properties as well as visual expression of wealth, amber beads were often strung with small felt pieces in between to keep the beads from damaging. [8]

The long history of amber as an amulet

So what you see, is that the qualities of amber occur in more or less similar forms time and again. It was believed to be useful against ear aches in both ancient Rome and modern Egypt, it works its magic against stomach aches and respiratory problems from the Maghreb to the Levant, and has helped babies through their teething pains since the Middle Ages. Amber has captivated the human imagination since forever!

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What other materials were used in amulets?

Want to see more? Check out the video page, where I’m showing a stunning necklace from Morocco with absolutely gorgeous amber beads!

Find out more about the magic of materials in the e-course on Amulets and Magic in Jewellery!

There is a free e-book on amulets in jewellery ready for you here…discover how they work!

Articles like these in your inbox? Join the Jewellery List today and stay in the loop on all things jewellery.

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References

[1] Koster, A. 2013. The Cemetery of Noviomagus, p. 174

[2] Davis, G. 2018. Rubbing and Rolling, Burning and Burying: The Magical Use of Amber in Roman London, in: Parker, A. & S. McKie 2018. Material Approaches to Roman Magic. Occult Objects and Supernatural Substances. Oxbow Books, Oxford, p. 71

[3] Idem, p. 75

[4] Hildegard von Bingen, Heilsame Schöpfung, übersetzt und eingeleitet von Ortrun Riha, Beuroner Kunstverlag 2016, p. 278

[5] Biasio, E. 1998. Beduinen im Negev, Zürich, p. 221

[6] Idem, p. 221-222

[7] Draguet, M. 2021. Berber Memories, p. 350

[8] Berber Women of Morocco, Fondation Pierre Bergé/Yves Saint Laurent 2014, p. 73

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.

Tatreez and Tea

Tatreez and Tea

by | Reviews

Tatreez and Tea

Embroidery as storytelling in the Palestinian diaspora
embroidery as storytelling

Tatreez and Tea

Updated Jan 20, 2024

When I was little, my mother and grandmother attempted to teach me cross-stitch embroidery. I remember very well the endless counting and recounting of the pattern, the frustration when I had miscounted and need to undo most of my stitches due to a mistake in the beginning, the art of using as little thread as possible (so no easy long-hauls at the back of the cloth…) and my happiness at the final result. It has been ages since I last picked up needle and thread, but I came across a wonderful book that really makes me want to start again!

Tatreez: more than just handicraft

The art of Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery is called tatreez, and it is infinitely more than just handicraft. Tatreez is both storytelling and affirming identity. Because it always has been a form of storytelling for hundreds of years, embroidery is the ultimate medium to keep telling and sharing the history of a people and of a nation.

In her book Tatreez and Tea, author Wafa Ghnaim combines all of these aspects in a very personal way.

Embroidery as teaching

Embroidered dresses document history, tradition and a way of life. By teaching her daughter to embroider, a mother would also transfer all of her knowledge to the next generation.

This could be practical knowledge, like how to deal with scorpions and snakes. The Snakes design holds no fewer than 5 lessons to be learned, and the Scorpions design teaches the same aspects that I learned during archaeological fieldwork in Egypt.

By means of nature, other concepts such as love and faith are illustrated as well. Ways of life are for example communicated through a beautiful design called Wheat Harvest, reflecting the importance of wheat, bread and hospitality.

Embroidery as historical record

This book however is far more than just an illustration of embroidery. Mixed in with every description of a pattern or a dress is the authors’ own family history. This makes this book all the more personal to read and places dress and adornment squarely where it belongs, at the heart of a people and a nation.

Embroidery is not just decorative or an art on the sidelines of life: embroidering keeps Palestinian culture alive and communicates its longterm and recent history. From the Cleopatra design to the Intifada and Missile designs, embroidery serves to affirm identity.

Tatreez and Tea: a must-read

I thoroughly recommend this book for anyone who would like to learn more about tatreez, its place in the Palestinian diaspora and the agency of dress and adornment. With over 400 pages, dozens of design patterns, terminology and techniques, tea, coffee and quince preserve recipes and personal history over several generations, this is a cultural treasure trove.

Update: Wafa Ghnaim’s second book THOBNA. Reclaiming Palestinian dresses in the diaspora is a powerful study of resistance embroidery that you will not want to miss.

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Tatreez and Tea. Embroidery and Storytelling in the Palestinian Diaspora. By Wafa Ghaim. 428 pages.

Read more about the book, classes, lectures etc on the website of Tatreez and Tea.

Follow Wafa on Instagram for updates and embroidery!

I purchased the book directly from Wafa.

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More book reviews? Browse them all here!

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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.