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Dear Peter, Did you get this from Ethiopia or Yemen, I am asking because the way the bells have been connected with a string to prevent loss, this is very much the way of Ethiopia. Gr. Ingrid.
Dear Ingrid; Many thanks for your comments. I bought it out of Yemen. I have seen one just like that in one of the books about Yemen. I checked today in my apartment but I must have taken the book already home, hence, I cannot remember anymore which book it was. I must say, it is a clever idea to keep the more fragile pieces together by a safety string. With kind regards. Peter
This is very beautiful, the diagonal granulation is among my favorite designs for an amulet box. Peter are you currently buying from Yemen (I ask because of the troubles there) or did you buy this some time ago?
Ingrid, you will be interested to know I recently bought a labbah necklace which is Yemeni or identical to Yemeni design, that was collected in Ethiopia around mid-century. This necklace has robe strings tied not just to keep the bells but to keep them in the front instead of getting stuck in the other elements and pushed to the back. So it has a functional and decorative purposes as the necklace is much more attractive when all the little bells are in the front. Unfortunately the strings are disintegrating but I am going to replace them. I will eventually post this necklace I have been slowly cleaning every one of the 400+ elements.
Dear Lynn; Many thanks for your comments. I have never stopped (and will never stop) buying from Yemen - I love Yemeni jewelry and have visited Yemen before. I am currently still working/living in Jordan and buy them always from the same supplier. He sporadically gets the items directly from Yemen. Hence, he has photos from which I choose the items I wish to have. Then he is purchasing a ticket for the dealer in Yemen, who flies with the items to Jordan. Since this gentlemen is visiting Jordan once or maximum twice per year, the dealer in Amman is keeping my reserved items in boxes and I buy them bit by bit, depending on my financial situation. This dealer in Amman is very well known and therefore, many Iraqis, Syrians, Palestinians and Jordanians are visiting his shop to sell their, mostly inherited, jewelry. The best thing about the entire situation is that I known this gentleman since now almost 15 years. He knows exactly what I have in my collection and when he sees a piece that I do not have, he is putting it aside for me (he just mentioned during my last visit that he is still looking for a high-end bird necklace from Yemen for me...). The other day, when I was at his shop and went through my Tupperware boxes, I discovered two necklaces, which I did not reserve or see before - he simply added them there as he felt that they should be part of my collection. Anyhow, they are gorgeous, the price was fine and therefore, I of course had to have them (he knows, I cannot resist). The Iraqi necklace, which I have just recently posted, was as well bought at this shop and has a nice story with it. Usually this particular necklace comes with the other Iraqi necklace (bottom is crescent shaped). I have already a pair (they are not a pair but for some reason, they always show up together) and I was particularly interested in the other piece, hence, I only reserved the piece with the crescent shaped amulet on it (this one had a different and very rare feature) and thought that I can still consider to purchase this necklace once I am in the shop. However, when I visited the shop, the dealer already sold the second necklace to someone else - a pity. When I visited the shop yesterday, hence, a couple of months later, a lady entered and said that she got a present from her husband, which she wishes to exchange with something else, as the necklace is too big for her to wear. Well, she had a point. It was exactly this necklace and I of course immediately bought it - as a fair exchange, I let her choose the replacement piece from my Tupperware boxes! Well, I guess I was at the right time at the right place. I hope you like this story. Regards, Peter
What a story about the iraqi necklace!! I love these stories when you go shop around, especially at shops that you know from years!
As for these very yemeni necklace, the hapit of tying each dangle with the other is a common feature in morocco as well (on earring dangles, headband, necklaces ....), especially in older pieces; using a wool thread or sometimes a secondary chain links...every single tidbit is so treasured that the women fear to loose them!
these necklace often weight up to 1 kg, how about yours Peter?
What a wonderful story Peter, quite romantic and intriguing. Thank you for sharing it! I like these stories about the jewelry almost as much as I like the photos. I have to do all my collecting through the computer but I have started to ask about why people have the pieces and some of the stories I get are quite touching and I treasure them. Many of the people also get very happy when I tell them that I am a collector and I treasure and wear the pieces, it gives them pleasure to think about an object that they have loved, being loved by someone else in turn.
I love your description of how your dealer is looking after you. He is a great enabler!! Next time you should take a photo of your tupperware container full of future treasures.
Wow Peter, what a story, makes me envious as I am completely out of it, but I do know the excitement to go to the shop after the tel. call. The dealer loves and respects you . Great.
Treasure this happening. It takes some time before you will have gained such a status as yours, I had a couple of them when living in Ethiopia. I often had to bend back to find the funds, but always found it. Result, so happy with my pieces, and yours are very extensive and so many outstanding. Thank you for sharing enjoyed it and with a bit painful nostalgy. Also the way Lynn responded on your experience sound very thorough. Lovely. GR. Ingrid.