We have a vast collection of images here which have been shared over the years ...
Click on an image to see the discussions around the piece.
Enjoy!
You need to be a member of Ethnic Jewels to add comments!
Request your copy of our newsletter.
If you would like to receive our newsletter
Comments
Lovely, Eva, and quite unusual as far as I can tell. It looks a bit like a miniature version of the more typical Oromo "engagement pendants".
@Betty, thank you, I have no further Information about this Piece, ..... perhaps it was part of a necklace or other pendant, I do not know.What are the typical Oromo "engagemend Pendants"? (Have some bridal/engagment Pendants, but not typical Oromo. Must check in my Ethiopian "box" (I mean the photos).
Beautiful, Eva , another little treasure..........
@Eva: I am sure you know what I mean when you one. I just did not describe it properly. The correct term for these pendants is "mergaf" and they come in different shapes and sizes and are worn not only by Oromo people. Originally they seem to have been amulet boxes (much like the smaller telsums), but they also come as (later?) one dimensional pieces -Here are some examples from different regions and of varying quality. Anyway, that's not to say that your pendant is any "relation" to those mergafs...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ethiopian-Silver-Metal-Engagement-Pendant-A...
http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/vwayne/1378324/antique...
http://www.africainfinite.com/catalog.php?act=view_prod_info&id...
http://www.etsy.com/listing/151285944/ethiopian-necklace-silver-eng...
@Chantal and Betty: thank you very much for your nice comments.
@Betty: oh, that is really kind of you to look for all these examples. I have looked at your links. Yes, i know them.In fact I have some, I just did not know that these were meant Oromo Engagement Pendants (I did not know which ethnie, just knew Ethiopian engagement pendants in general). About this pendant above, it is possible - I have no idea and no further info by the seller, but I know that he is selling parts of an ancient Ethiopia collection. A dear friend from Ethnic Jewels has given me small ones of these rectangular pendants with dangles (I made a necklace combined with others (see pic here). Other beads I had bought from various sellers and one triangle was given to me by Sarah.
P.S. Betty: I did not know that Expression "mergaf", I always heard only "telsum", and these are probably the smaller ones used like beads for necklaces. Thanks for the info, I am learning....!