Photos

Comments

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  Chantal August 17, 2012 at 10:36pm

  Wonderful. Had seen the box/bracelets with enamel never with this type. looks very substantial.
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  ait ouakli August 18, 2012 at 12:04am

  this is an old benni yenni or boghni Bracelet, reworked to a box recently, this way of work started in tizi ouzou and went to the mountains. it is as you wrote , a way to do something with the old bracelets or khalkhals. i have some photos, if i find them, i ll post them
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  ait ouakli August 18, 2012 at 3:01am

  Rami.  if you look at other photos, you  will see that it was a bracelet ( for feet )

  the work is semilar but not the same, the silver around the coral in the top is differetly made as silver around the coral on the bracelet ( smaller and bigger teeth )

  the kabyl use rarely boxes and they are almost made of potery or bast.

  this piece is for sure around 200 gr,it is for 60 or 80 years oo much money for a box

  i hope i could help you
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  Chantal August 18, 2012 at 8:44am

  Ait, interesting. If the Kabyles rarely use boxes (or that type of boxes)  for which markets are these recycled ornaments made then? Surely not for the avid ebay westerner collectors? What is bast?
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  ait ouakli August 18, 2012 at 11:21am

  Chantal.  Bast is bass, rafia. i mean with all the vegetable fibre. the most used in Kabylie is a plante growing with leaves as a certain palm, you pull them longly and separate them in the middle, they do mats and another usufel items too.

  for 60 jears and more, the Kabyl house was simpl, just few items what people need. the same as houses in the warm regions. they spend time more outside that inside house.

  family members have to save money years to efford a bracelet like this. it is not to make a box with.

  in the 70 th, was a lot off tourists in the Kabylie and immegrants with european wifes. some smiths started using thoes bracelets ( what the population was giving for melting ) as boxes for touristes
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  Chantal August 18, 2012 at 1:19pm

  Thanks Ait. it makes sense. I was visiting Kabylia in the 70s......As someone said recently here, its better to have recycled these wonderful bracelets in this way than  to have melt them........They are sculptural and very impressive.....
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  Johanne August 18, 2012 at 9:02pm

  Ayis, Chantal, Rami and Ait, thanks for your nice comments! Especially thanks to Ait for his precise identification of the bracelet. (I think an anklet would be wider; 8,5-10 cm diam.)

  I've thought about restauration of the bracelet. But maybe it is not easy; there is a pin left in the clasp and there is some solder on it.. I think It will be possible to saw off the bottom.

  I wonder if the lid is an original design or a well known design you see more often. ( for a fibula brooch or pendant disc) Maybe somebody has seen such a design before?
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  Chantal August 18, 2012 at 10:23pm

  Johanne it seems to me a wonderful idea- if you have the means and know someone reliable to do the job-  to have it  it restored to its former glory  (they are rare and the remaining ones are expensive......... and I still havent managed to lay a hand on one.........). i am a great believer in 2 types of rescues, unwanted cats and damaged/altered/recycled  old ethnic jewels..........

  Good luck and please if you get on with it post the end product for us !

  I cannot comment on the value of the lid.........
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  ait ouakli August 18, 2012 at 11:00pm

  thanks to you too johanne.  this shape is ommun in beni yenni and tiziouzou mountains, it is an old one. if you look at my photos, you will find it for sure.

  it is a good idea to remake a bracelet. any good silversmith can do it. i m busy thoes days otherwise i do it for you.i m work on my own collection and it will take some weeks

  if you find nobody, tell me then, i will try to make a place for your bracelet
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  Johanne August 19, 2012 at 10:00pm

  @ Ait ouakli 

  Thanks for the offer to do this!  I know someone who probably can restore it. But he has not seen the bracelet yet..

   I've seen your pictures. Great collection!  And Yes, I've seen the same types of bracelets/anklets. Wonderful..

  @ Chantal 

  We have already rescued an unwanted cat from the animal shelter! and maybe now rescue a mistreated bracelet? It sounds well!