Photos

Comments

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  ingrid Langerak February 23, 2015 at 10:52pm

  A unique  one, I have only seen one set sofar.
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  Betty February 24, 2015 at 2:09pm

  Wow! This very unusual, Ingrid! And sooooo beautiful. Thanks a lot for sharing the pic with us. Do you have any idea how old it might be? It definitely looks like a costum made piece.
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  ingrid Langerak February 24, 2015 at 2:38pm

  Hard to tell Betty, as it is an almost uniqum, and how often was it worn, I do not think very much worn, as all the beads are in tact.  Richer people do have so many more pieces so they put them on  depending on the mood and clothes they wear.  But I place it about 1930, it is rather heavy and it is guilded although now rather thinly.  That is also were I get the app. years from as also the guild is not seen anymore on the back side.  Not like some other sets I have guilded, their backs are still with guild on them.
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  Eva Baby February 25, 2015 at 6:18pm

  Love this one too, not so much for the coloured stones, but for the wonderful detail work on the pendants. Gorgeous!
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  ingrid Langerak February 25, 2015 at 10:32pm

  I know what you mean Eva, It is slightly too much, but it makes a nice addition for a collection.

  You hardly see this, Ethiopia or Eritrea is not a country from stones, now different time.  As the world is now flooded with Ethiopian Opals. Were not available in my time.
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  Betty February 26, 2015 at 10:56am

  Thanks for the additional info Ingrid.

  I agree with Eva about the lovely granulation( also unusual for this type of fertility bead methinks :-)), However, I quite like the stones too, which all vary in size and colours and shades. But we are used to seeing "plain" silver in Ethiopian jewellery, and this piece is just very different. I like it very much.

  As for the opals. Do you know if they have ever been used locally, Ingrid?
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  ingrid Langerak February 26, 2015 at 11:06am

  Betty, as far as I know and have experience with . No local use.  Stone cutting was not done.  I have only one ring, with a wood opal , capucion(?) cut. which was a try out from the handicraft school (I wrote you about in earlier discussions, when you asked if there were Armenian jewelers in Ethiopia) and one of them was the teacher at this school. Unfortunately the revolution came and no money set aside and very soon the spareparts were not bought and it died.  So the answer is no use of the local opal. This came into fashion very recent, perhaps about 4-5 yrs ago?
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  Betty February 26, 2015 at 11:09am

  Thank you, Ingrid. I was wondering about this. As you said the market is swamped with Ethiopian opals, but I cannot remember having ever seen opal jewellery being worn in EThiopia proper...