Bulgarian Bracelets - ID? - Photos

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Bulgarian Bracelets - ID?

Posted by Lynn Ardent on April 4, 2015 at 9:31pm

Two delicate bracelets, for a young woman. Not a pair but the construction and design is similar. Three applied domes on the front, and then swooping out to ends that are wider than the middle. With floral and half-moon stampings. These were described as "17th century copper bracelets" but after cleaning are clearly not copper. I tested them and they are 50% silver. Thoughts? I have not seen these before. More photos in the comments.

Comments

Lynn Ardent April 4, 2015 at 9:39pm

Another view with a sense of scale:

And here they are pre-cleaning:
Alaa eddine SAGID April 4, 2015 at 9:54pm

A beautiful and interesting find!

The silver alloy does fit with Bulgaria BUT i shall stress on the shape which was a very widespread medieval and post medieval islamic quite widespread all over nowdays arabic countries. One can still find bracelets with wider parts near the opening in North Africa, Egypt...

Furthermore the other pattern which fit with my first statement is the presence of the three raised domes. Again a feature found on these islamic bracelets: A diversity of volumes of appliques but always in a number of three!

A closer study of the patterns can tell us more, but the way they are engraved is reminescent of the BUlgarian naive etchings

PS: The shape is somehow comparable to the more common bulgarian and south eastern bracelets that are offered in tens on Ebay, these bracelets as well do belong to the same family but with different added work
Lynn Ardent April 4, 2015 at 10:33pm

Thank you Alaa for your wonderful and thoughtful commentary! I bought these bracelets because of the three raised domes, they reminded me of Haydari bracelets, but three instead of five. They came from a Bulgarian dealer but they could be from elsewhere -- he thought they were quite old and different and had nothing else like them. As well, the patterns do not have any obviously Christian symbols, so they could be Islamic. I find them very interesting, and probably made from the same smith or the same workshop.
Alaa eddine SAGID April 4, 2015 at 10:38pm

My statement does not mean they are islamic, actually i don't believe it, i just wanted to stress on the shape and how it was heavily used by muslims through time and still is.

Nowadays i am obsessed by reminescences from antique cultures and i can clearly see in between the domes the shape of a fertility symbol such as those one can find in many ethnic jewels across the world.

Yours is either a tree of life or a generously endowed woman with a fertile belly and breast.

Sorry if i digress
Lynn Ardent April 5, 2015 at 3:40am

I totally see the woman shape in the carvings, Alaa. What a treasure, thank you for pointing it out.
Peter Hoesli April 5, 2015 at 9:55am

Dear Lynn; These are lovely bracelets and remind me of those from Palestine... Hence, I would locate them also to the Balkan, having been heavily influenced by the Ottomans. Congratulations. Peter
ivan January 17, 2016 at 6:34pm

I have the same bracelet.
Thelma January 19, 2016 at 6:51pm

Beautiful bracelets, Lynn. What a transformation from the original state of the pieces when you bought them. It must have been very satisfying to reclaim them and to discover something of their origins.