We have a vast collection of images here which have been shared over the years ...

Click on an image to see the discussions around the piece.

Enjoy!

the engravings remind me of the Saharan tuareg and also Nupe currency Nigeria ….I'm sure Ingrid will help with this ….I said Tigray because i've seen online other brass ornament with almost same pattern
Read more…
E-mail me when people leave their comments –

Comments

  • Angelo, these anklets are from the Afar people.  There are a few examples at theQuai Branly Museum in France.  They were collected in Djibouti.  They have changed over their system, which makes searching their database now very cumbersome (very slow and not a very user friendly interface, but maybe if you are just looking for a single object using its Inventory number it might be easier).  From my own person records, I jotted down the following Inventory Nos:  71.1938.80.94  and 71.2012.0.2854  and  71.1938.80.95.  I have also included one of the anklets (worn by women), as a cross example for you.2506033305?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

  • Thank you ZambeziCocktail…very helpful…...

    Kiss kiss…Angelo

  • And I looked on the map…Afar and Tigray are next to each other ..on the border Eritrea…

    Thank you so much ZambeziCocktail

  • Angelo, glad I could help out.  I will be interested to hear what Ingrid has to say.  As far as I know the Afar and the Tigray are two very different people, in terms of religion and culture.  

  • I archived as Afar people …thanx …will see ingrid comment …kisses

  • Dear Angelo and ZambeziCocktail. These are indeed Bronze (not brass) anklets which were worn by the married Afar women.  Beautiful items. I think pretty old. 
     The Afars are a nomadic people. They are hertsmen who travel with their camels from the Tigrai borders along the Awash valley into the Danakil depression, one of the hottest place on earth where they cut salt blocks for trade.  Their camels are their richness.  They also travel to the border of Arsi, and there one can/could find loads of brass bracelets with simular decoration on them.  I do not know Tigrai items with this decor.

    Hope this is helpful. Gr.Ingrid.

  • Another fact about the Afar men is that they are in the eyes of other Ethiopian men rather dangerous for their manhood parts.  They had to produce a set to their future father in law in order to prove their braveness.  But under the rule of the Emperor Haile Selassie this dangerous practise was forbidden.

    Once I wanted very much a chieftan's knife, but none of the workmen on my husbands project in that area dared to asked the Afars. So `i finally did get one through a hotelier who was friends which them.

  • thanks  Ingrid ….kisses

This reply was deleted.

You need to be a member of Ethnic Jewels to add comments!

Join Ethnic Jewels

Request your copy of our newsletter.

If you would like to receive our newsletter

Click here