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Preethi nice looking bracelets in such good condition. Me as a collector of Ethiopian collectables I am surprised by the rather aggressive thorns at so many of the North African bracelets and wonder are they meant as a kind of a weapon or do they represent a symbol? Gr. Ingrid.
You would be surprised INGRID of the very deep and old links between the berber people and the African horn highlands
Actually latest researches have prooven that before splitting with their cousins who would later set nile valley civilization including the pharaonic one, berber ancestors came from somewhere between ethiopia and erythrea, or at least their language did!
Bracelets with protrusions/volumes are common in the saharan/sahelian cultures and are obviously relating to a common origin.
Many other adornments across this region and overlapping over south Morocco for instance have this idea of the HORN/SPIKE/THORN projection into the outer space.
Many see it as a mere decorative aesthetic side, others think that it is part of some defensiv construction (especially bracelets).
My guess is that again it heavily relates to fertility.
Most Mauri bracelets can be red as follows:
-The protrusions are an avatar of a male fertilising element
-there is always underneath that male element some sort of applique, filgree, engraving.....most of the time curvy and flowery in it patterns obviously symbolizing the female element.
What will be interesting is to do a research before all the eldery die to exactely know when these bracelets were offered, purchased or worn!
This will sure help to link them and place them in a readable common grid!
I invite anybody to have a look at the large array of bracelets from Nubian, Rashaida Moors ..... to get a sense of these similarities in the symbology construction
Lovely traditional bracelets, Preethi, and super info. as usual, Alaa!
Thank you Alaa for replying on what the spikes or symbols may stand for. Like you also mentioned that it maybe also having its birth as a fighting bracelets . That is what occured to me thinking of the roman or ottoman soldiers outfits. Ethiopia does have some with minor points from the RashAida, but not with the southern bracelets or the highlanders. That is why it was noticed by me.
I am not so sure if this silver or metal jewellery does have a common ground, because in Ethiopia silver is in fashion for not so long, from around 1880. Fertility symbols in Ethiopia are mostly worn as a necklaces and in Eritrea as anklets ( a more subdued symbol). and breast symbols on the forehead by the Eastern provinces like Wollo/Orgobba and surrounding. In the southern part it is more worn by the men of a vegetation nature on their foreheads (in dance ceremonies).
You know Alaa that in Ethiopia there are many different languages spoken I think as many 60 or more. Tigrigna which is spoken in Tigrai and Eritrea has a lot of arabic words and is claimed to come from the Sabbean language as does Amharic. So I can believe that there maybe some common ground in there.
But Oromo is a very soft fluent spoken language. nothing in common with arabic.(spoken by the largest population of Ethiopia.