Photos

Comments

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  ait ouakli February 4, 2014 at 1:15pm

  very beautiful betty. i like this necklaces a lot. i like the mystery they have inside too
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  Betty February 4, 2014 at 1:18pm

  I recently acquired this Muria made of an unkown metall alloy (probably including aluminium?). It seems to be a rather recent creation. The beads (about 2.5 cm in diameter) are not filled  - neither with wax nor wood - but are hollow and light weight. Some of them have a piece of metal or a small stone in them which rattles.

  I wonder if anyone can perhaps comment on how to distinguish older and newer Murias?
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  Betty February 4, 2014 at 1:23pm

  Thanks Ait, I like them, too!

  This one is actually more beautiful on the photo than in reality, I'm afraid. I still like it, but I was a bit disappointed that  it's not made up of the old wax-core beads. A while ago I found four older, wax-filled beads, and they are are a lot nicer.
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  ait ouakli February 4, 2014 at 1:26pm

  yes, but there is not so much with the wax. it is actualy ( shelack) a normal wax will melt in the heat.

  i had a necklace with clay,wood and the wax in the same time. the beads were actualy from the same smith ( what i could observe)
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  ait ouakli February 4, 2014 at 1:27pm

  BTW. they are actualy silver. this is not aluminium
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  Betty February 4, 2014 at 2:10pm

  This one the pics one contains no or very low silver, Ait. The beads are very light and completely hollow. I think it is only the old ones that are filled filled shellac (or wood or clay.

  I've just examined the four separate beads I have, and you are right, it's no wax. I scratched a bit on the inside with a needle, and it seems that they are filled with a clay-like material.
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  Eva Baby February 4, 2014 at 2:37pm

  I cannot say anything about the making or the Quality and the filling, but on the photo, this necklace Looks stunning! I really love it!  As I wrote you by email, I have seen another such necklace, also hollow, but it is said to be  from Yemen. It seems the Connections between Ethiopia and Yemen must have been very Close at some time, it would be interesting to find out more about this). I wonder what  Ingrid will say. But you should not be disapponted, it really Looks beautiful!
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  Akkie February 4, 2014 at 3:20pm

  i agree with Eva!
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  ingrid Langerak February 4, 2014 at 7:52pm

  Once again.  This Muria is a very good piece.  And like I wrote they are mostly of 700/1000 silver.  If they are very hollow is good, because that means the jeweller has used a thicker form of silver and therefore the beads did not need so much wax/clay mixture.  Because that is used in order to prefend it from denting.  Often with very old Muria's they have used such thin layer of silver that it has been worn through and the wax/clay can be seen.  (the wearing through is also a sign of good silver).

  This Muria can be country as well as city piece, because of the smaller size. Well done Betty, enjoy it.

   
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  Betty February 4, 2014 at 8:06pm

  Thanks for all the additional information, Ingrid. The metal is actually quite thick and does not seem to be prone to denting.

  Is there anyway to judge the age of a Muria (this one is not old, according to the previous owner it's from the 1970s)?