Silberschmuck aus Nubien

Silberschmuck aus Nubien

by | Reviews

Collection of Wolfgang and Sibylle Mayer

Silberschmuck aus Nubien

Silver jewellery from Nubia is a category of jewellery that has not received all that much attention throughout the years, and so a new book on this beautiful heritage is very welcome! Silberschmuck aus Nubien is devoted to the private collection of Sibylle and Wolfgang Mayer.

Cover of the book Silberschmuck aus Nubien

Bedouin Silver | Silberschmuck aus Nubien

Sample page form the book Silberschmuck aus Nubien, showing silver jewellery with rosettes.

Silberschmuck aus Nubien | rosettes

Sample page from the book Silverschmuck aus Nubien, showing the beginning of the chapter on bracelets.

Silberschmuck aus Nubien | bracelets

This collection was built up over decades by Wolfgang and Sibylle Mayer, a German couple living and working on the island of Elephantine in the south of Egypt, opposite the town of Aswan, and elsewhere in Egypt. The book opens with the ‘how’ of collecting: I’m always interested in what triggered collectors to fall in love with a certain type of jewellery, and here it is living in, and falling in love with, a culture. Having been in Aswan myself many times, both for work and for holiday sojourns, reading this book brought back so many memories.

I very much appreciated that it looks beyond jewellery itself to its people: the first chapters introduce life in Nubia briefly, and describe the fundamental changes in both the countryside itself and their impact on its inhabitants as a result of the Aswan Dam. Much of Nubia was flooded permanently and people were forced to relocate, which had an impact on lifestyle and thus on jewellery. Understanding that background is important to appreciating jewellery that belongs in it. Speaking of cultural background, I loved how the book also shows the decoration on not just jewellery, but on houses and utensils, too: jewellery is as much part of material culture as anything else.

The book itself is beautifully designed. Each chapter opens with a large black and white photograph of jewellery being worn, and then goes on to show a variety of silver jewellery that you will not find easily anywhere else. Bracelets, pendants, coin jewellery, anklets, earrings, nose rings, finger rings….in many forms and designs, as well as beautifully designed silver kohl needles. There are some truly remarkable pieces to be admired in this book: the imitation coin jewellery is very rare, as are several of the amulets shown.

Much of the collection was purchased in Aswan and in Cairo. That explains why there is a large body of jewellery in the book that is Egyptian, but not necessarily Nubian: zār jewellery. [1] The author explicitly states that he believes the majority of his collection may actually be from Middle and Lower Egypt (notably Cairo) [p. 75], and looking at the photos I agree that that is probably the case. The photographs of a zār included in this section are the same as featured in the book on zār by dr. el-Hadidi, or here on this website – which makes sense, as this is a most private event that is rarely photographed. The many examples of zār jewellery in this book are sometimes misidentified, but that does not diminish the value of the photographs: these pages will give you a great overview of the variety in zār pendants with spirit images!

The chapter on zār jewellery links more to Middle and Lower Egypt than to Nubia, but also within the earlier chapters there is a regional variety within Nubia itself that is not addressed. Nubia encompasses quite a large area, and the rings shown on pages 66-67 for example reflect that: there are rings present as worn by the coastal Rashayda tribes, but also from the Nile Valley villages. These regional varieties in jewellery remain unaddressed throughout the book. The bibliography does not mention the work of Griselda Tayib [2] (but frankly, that is really hard to obtain) or Imogen Thurbon [3]: both focus on Sudan, which also includes parts of Nubia. But, as the author writes, collecting with a scholarly goal was never the plan [p. 106] – this is a collection built from the heart, and that passion shines through in every page.

The collection also shows the cultural influences that you’d expect in a trade city as well connected as Aswan: for centuries, trade routes converged here. The schematic drawing of the rosette, which is a staple of Nubian jewellery, as shown on page 27 is actually drawn after a pendant from Oman – but one that ended up in Nubia and fit right in. One of the bracelets on page 45 is from Yemen, and several rings shown are worn on either side of the Red Sea: there is so much that ended up in the souks of Aswan (and also Cairo, of course) that bears testimony to this long history of trade and connection!

And what I found the most wonderful thing to read are the future plans for this collection! When you have been following this blog for a while, you know my greatest concern is not what is happening to jewellery today, but what will become of it in the future. (and if you’re new to this blog: there is more about that here). What will happen to collected jewellery when its collectors are no longer there? How will it continue to speak for the people who created it? For this collection, there is a clear plan in place: the couple have promised large parts of their collection to a yet to be realized museum on the history of Nubia in Wadi Halfa. Seeing this heritage return home eventually, where it will be integrated in the many stories of living and working in this part of the world, is simply inspiring.

Silberschmuck aus Nubien is a great visual reference book for anyone interested in jewellery from southern Egypt and northern Sudan! The beautiful photography allows you to zoom in on details, and the collection is just stunning. This book does much to spark the enthousiasm for Nubian silver jewellery and to keep it visible and admired: particularly with a relatively unknown category of traditional jewellery, that is no small feat. And if you do not read German, I know you will love it for its photographs and the wide variety of jewellery alone!

Silberschmuck aus Nubien. Ein fast verlorenes Kulturgut. By Wolfgang Mayer, 2021.

Full colour, 111 pages, in German. Published by Edition esefeld & traub, Stuttgart.

Available with the publisher and via Amazon.

The book was purchased in the museum shop of the Schmuckmuseum in Pforzheim.

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References

[1] Full disclaimer: I’m close to finishing my PhD-research into zār jewellery and as such have seen more of them and read more about these than can be reasonably expected of anyone else who wants to keep their sanity. When it’s published, hopefully in the near future, this link will refer to it: the collection shown in Silberschmuck aus Nubien is absolutely wonderful and informative regardless!

[2] Griselda Tayib, Regional Costumes of Sudan: see more here

[3] Imogen Thurbon runs the informative website Women’s Literacy Sudan: see this post for example on hair braiding in Sudan

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.

What is ‘Kuchi jewellery’?

What is ‘Kuchi jewellery’?

by | Cultures & People

Afghanistan adornment

What is ‘Kuchi’ jewellery?

Updated Dec 27, 2023

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

A Pashtun dress ornament from Afghanistan

Who are the Kuchi?

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

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

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

Tribes in Afghanistan: more than just one people

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

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

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

Pashtun silver ring with red glass

What is Kuchi jewellery?

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

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

Afghan jewellery heritage

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

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

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

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

Two Afghani chokers, likely Pashtun

Kuchi ornaments

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

See more on Kuchi Afghan vanity grooming sets here

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

Modern-day Kuchi jewellery and the West

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

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

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

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

Afghani styles of many peoples

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

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

More on traditional jewellery from Southwest Asia and North Africa? Browse the jewellery blog here!

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Looking for background information on your jewellery? Have a look at the courses – there’s so much available on the world of the jewellery you love!

More tips on collection management and research? Check this free resource or download the e-book!

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References

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

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

[3] Janata 1981, p. 68.

[4] Janata 1981, p. 70.

[5] Janata 1981, p. 74.

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

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

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.

Keys as amulets

Keys as amulets

by | Magic & Amulets

magic of keys

Keys as amulets

Among the forms that are not immediately associated with amulets, is that of a key. Yet they appear as amulet in several ways throughout the Middle East and North Africa, from actual keys to images of keys. You will see them dangling from necklaces, included as miniature charm on charm necklaces, and alluded to in embroidery for example. What is the symbolic meaning of a key? In this article, I will introduce three ways keys hold significance as amulets in the Middle East.

Detail of a silver somt necklace, leather amulet pouches, bright beaded necklaces and keys worn by a Bedouin woman from Oman.

Power of keys: materials and amulets

First off, the material that keys were traditionally made of, is powerful in itself. Jinn are known to be afraid of iron, (see here why that is) and so anything made from iron would keep them at a distance. Keys, which for a long time were made of iron, fit that criterium perfectly. The image of the necklaces worn by a Bedouin woman from Oman shows her wearing a set of keys amidst leather amulet pouches: most likely, the keys also serve an apotropaic function.

A more recent version of a key as amulet is the silver key from Oman, shown below, which is shaped after a modern key. In North Africa, tiny keys sewn on to children’s clothing help prevent an early death. [1] (see here which spirits were feared for harming children). In 1915, a baby boy in Algeria was seen adorned with a series of amulets, including two iron keys, and the author observing that practice also noticed that keys were worn commonly as a charm. [2]

Silver Omani amulets, including a silver key

Key symbolism: locking and unlocking

There is more to keys than just the material they are made of, and is where their function comes into view. Keys, of course, lock and unlock things. The concept of locking and unlocking is closely related to a woman’s fertility: not so much in terms of chastity, but in the context of spirits blocking her from getting pregnant or causing a miscarriage. In that respect, keys function in a similar fashion to knots and knotting (see more about that here).

Here, keys are often combined with locks: amulets in the shape of locks were believed to prevent miscarriage in Egypt, as these ‘lock’ the womb until the time of birth has come. [3] When a birth is difficult, the reverse principle is used, and the key to a saint’s tomb is placed on the lower back of the mother to ease the birth. [4]

An Islamic magic bowl with a tiny iron key attached

Keys in ritual: protection and knowledge

Keys are also symbolic of accessing protection and knowledge. An example of that are the magical bowls of the Yezidi, where tiny amulet plaquettes are attached to its rim. These are called kilit, which literally means ‘key’ in Kurdic. [5] These amulet plaquettes can also take the form of an actual key, such as shown above.

The general idea is that the key amulet would enhance the efficacy of the bowl by submerging it into the water of the bowl. [6] Bowls like these were used in informal ritual aimed, again, at securing healthy pregnancy and safe births, as well as protection from evil forces. [7]

Keys as amulets: the magic in everyday objects

A seemingly simple household item may hold deep significance on a supernatural level: this example of keys shows how ‘magic’ is not something alien or mysterious, but something that is expressed in forms and shapes most familiar to us.

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What kinds of amulets exist in North Africa and the Middle East?

Curious as to what other everyday objects may be used as amulets, and what their meaning is? Find out more about the histories behind amulets in the e-course on Amulets and Magic in Jewellery!

Or start by downloading the free e-book on amulets and jewellery here.

More posts on jewellery and amulets? Browse them all here!

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References

[1] Hansmann, L. and L. Kriss-Rettenbeck 1977. Amulet und Talismann. Erscheinungsform und Geschichte. Verlag Georg D.W. Callwey, Munchen, p. 240.

[2] Hilton-Simpson, M.W. 1915. Some Algerian Superstitions Noted among the Shawia Berbers of the Aures Mountains and their Nomad Neighbours, in: Folklore Vol. 26, no. 3, p. 233 and p. 240.

[3] Hansen, N. 2006. Motherhood in the Mother of the World, PhD-thesis, University of Chicago, p. 116.

[4] Idem

[5] Biesterfeld, H. & D. Pielow (eds) 2019. Die Geheimnisse der Oberen und Unteren Welt. Magie im Islam zwischen Glaube und Wissenschaft, Brill, Leiden. p. 469-470 for a description of these bowls.

[6] Idem, p. 469

[7] Idem, p. 472-473

 

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.

Magic of plastic

Magic of plastic

by | Magic & Amulets

surprising materials

The magic of plastic

Updated Jan 8, 2024

Jewellery made with materials that we consider less valuable, are often not taken seriously. Plastic has that effect in particular, and you may hear comments like: ‘this piece has plastic, so it’s not real’ or even ‘this is a fake because it should have coral instead of plastic.’ But who says that it should…?⁠ Plastic plays a role in ethnic jewellery quite often, and its use extends into the realm of amulets. Here are a few examples.

Silver and enamel brooch from Kabylia, with bakelite
Bedouin woman holding her child, with silver and imitation amber jewellery.
Silver Bedouin ring with turquoise-coloured plastic.
Silver Omani necklace with glowing red bicycle reflector.

Plastics in ethnic jewellery: Bakelite

Bakelite, a type of plastic invented in the early 1900s, was widely used in jewellery production in the early 20th century. Its popularity was due to its durability, versatility, and affordability. It could be shaped, carved, and molded into various forms, making it an ideal material for creating intricate and colorful designs.

So instead of thinking about this material as ‘fake’, I feel the use of bakelite in traditional jewellery highlights the intersection of technology and culture and tells us about the changing social and economic circumstances of that time. It shows how people adapted to new materials and incorporated them into their jewellery.

The bright red of the bakelite in the Kabyle brooch shown above (click to enlarge it) shows both the fascination for this new material, and works miracles for the wearer!

Plastics in ethnic jewellery: Imitation amber

One thing these plastics were used for, is to imitate the costly amber. Amber was valued for a number of reasons, including magical ones: a little more about that is here.

An example is the woman from el-Arish, shown in the photo above (click to enlarge it). Around her neck, visible behind the string of Maria Theresia Thalers her child is playing with, she is wearing a necklace made of dark beads: most likely these are the imitation amber beads in a dark cherry hue as shown in the image.

They also exist as proper amber imitations in an opaque amber colour, and are now rare themselves as they are no longer made. ⁠[1]

Plastics in ethnic jewellery: Colour over material

Plastic is also the material chosen for the Bedouin ring, shown above (click to enlarge it) where a piece of battered and damaged plastic has been carefully set in silver. Judging by the wear, it has kept its wearer safe from harm for a lifetime.

That is by virtue of its colour: these bluegreen shades are considered particularly effective against the evil eye, just like turquoise. This piece of plastic serves that purpose perfectly: it is the colour that matters here, not the material.

A plastic bicycle reflector against evil

A wonderful example of jewellery with apotropaic properties is the silver necklace from Oman shown above. It combines several well-known principles of magical protection, and adds to those a reinforcement of its own.

The colour red is the dominant colour when it comes to averting evil, and is present here in three splashes of vibrant red.

Three is a number that is regarded as beneficial, as it represents the trinities of life: man, woman and child, along with birth, life and death.

The dangles confuse evil with their unpredictable swaying and the sound of their jingling, while the tiny crescent moons bring prosperity and growth. ⁠

But it is the center piece that steals the show: a plastic bicycle reflector. Its reflecting capacity averts evil even more on top of all of the above: imagine how these would shine when they catch a ray of sunlight! ⁠I especially like this necklace as it shows that purpose beats material in some cases: there is nothing precious about a plastic reflector, and yet it may save your life from both evil forces and approaching traffic.⁠

Plastic in ethnic jewellery: a wonderful amulet

So you see how plastic may function as amulet in a range of ways. It can be a substitute for something else (such as imitation amber or coral), it can function as fully equal to other materials because of its colour, and it can even be the material of choice precisely because of its own capacities. In all cases, it would have been as real to the wearer as other materials: it is the desired effect that counts!

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References

[1] See the chapter on imitation amber in King, R. 2022 Amber. From Antiquity to Eternity.

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.

Donating to a museum

Donating to a museum

by | Tips for collectors

5 steps

Donating your ethnic jewellery collection to a museum

Updated Feb 20, 2025

Thinking of donating your jewellery collection to a museum? That is fabulous! Donating it to a museum is a great way to ensure this heritage is preserved for future generations. But even so, it’s not a decision made lightly, as you entrust the passion of your lifetime to someone else. Therefore, it is very important to explore and carefully weigh your options, so you can decide on a well-informed basis where your collection should go.

I would advise to start that process well in advance, as not every donation is automatically accepted by museums. So how to go about that…?

Here are 5 clear, actionable steps towards donating your jewellery collection.

Step 1: evaluate your reasons

Start by evaluating your reasons for wanting to donate your jewellery collection. For example, you could be downsizing as a result of moving to a smaller home: that happens quite often. Donating for tax reasons is also not unheard of: sizeable donations may come with tax benefits.

When your heirs are not all that interested in your life’s work, the question what should happen to it after you’ve gone becomes all the more pressing, and knowing your collection is safe and cared for provides much needed peace of mind.

What do you envisage their future to be? Do you see them in a jewellery museum, in an ethnographic museum, in an art museum, and could that also be a museum in the communities that these pieces culturally form part of?

Last, but certainly not least, there is your personality to take into account: do you see yourself taking family and friends to a museum to show them your contribution glinting in a showcase, or are you more of a ‘behind-the-scenes’-person?

Just to be clear, both are fine! I can tell you from experience it’s extremely cool to see your jewellery displayed in an actual museum, and also that it’s very, very rewarding to be donating anonymously. When it comes to managing your own expectations, it is very useful to pause for a moment and consider why you would like to donate – do you want to get anything out of it and if so, what would that be?

Once you have a view on the ‘why’ of your plan to donate, it will become easier to find an institution that aligns with your values.

Step 2: contact the museum you have in mind

Ask after their guidelines, policies, criteria and procedures for accepting donations – some museums already have all of this on their website.

Bear in mind that not all museums accept everything: they may decide to accept only a few pieces and leave the rest. And that is a sound decision on their part! Because if all museums accepted everything that was ever collected, what would that mean in terms of storage space and longtime care…?

Contacting the museum of your choice well in advance will be helpful as it allows you to prepare your donation, or to start looking for other museums if your donation should not be a good match.

Don’t forget to ask away when you have contacted a curator to discuss possibilities: what is the museum’s view on deaccession? Do they have plans in place for an open-access database? Will your collection be mainly in storage as reference collection, or will it be visible (even if it is just digitally)?

Step 3: consider tax implications

Donating your collection may have tax implications (both positive and negative), so these should be discussed at an early stage. Getting an appraisal may be useful for tax purposes as well as for providing the museum of your choice with an indication of the value of your donation.

Not every museum requires this though, and you could also decide to simply donate it because of the contribution you’ll make to a shared heritage. Note that laws and legislation vary per country, so consult your tax advisor as well as the museum on this in an early stage.

Step 4: have your documentation up to date

Now this is an important point: increasingly, you’ll be asked to provide documentation of your jewellery, such as its provenance, as well as identifications of the pieces you’re donating.

Museums do not always have the resources available to work on an identification of your pieces themselves, due to budget and time constraints. Notably the provenance documentation will grow in importance over the coming decades.

An up-to-date registration of your collection is also useful in for example an overview of the materials that it consists of: are there materials that require special care in storage?

Another possibility to consider here is making your documentation part of the donation itself. If you own, for example, a library on the topic of your collection (jewellery books, anyone?), adding these to a museum library will effectively turn that into a specialized research library that will benefit students and scholars alike.

Many museums host book sales to support their library or other budgets: any double copies could be sold, and they would still end up in the most appreciating hands.

Worried about that documentation? Check out this free resource on how to get started, or see if the course Organising Your Collection is something for you!

Step 5: talk about terms and conditions you may have for your donation

If you have specific conditions in mind on how your jewellery can or cannot be displayed or used, be sure to discuss these with the museum in advance. Is it enough for you if your collection is not put on display, but available to whoever wants to study it? Do you want your name attached to your collection?

It’s good to be aware that some museums accept only unconditional gifts, meaning they can do with your collection as they please. That may include selling parts of it.

Too many restrictive conditions will make it less desirable for a museum to accept your donation, so this is a point that requires careful consideration and negotiation.

The main thing to keep in mind when donating your collection though is the inevitable transfer from ‘your’ collection to ‘their’ collection. That can be a tough one: a museum may not value the pieces you love the most in the same way you do, and once the collection has been donated, it is no longer yours.

Donating your ethnic jewellery collection to a museum: peace of mind

But when a curator has taken the time to walk you through the donation process, explained the possible future of your pieces in the collection (including deaccession), or made a selection of pieces that are truly an addition to the museum, you can rest assured you will have done everything you can to give your collection a secure, meaningful future.

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The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

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