We have a vast collection of images here which have been shared over the years ...
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Comments
What makes Howah's bodice so interesting is all the extra silver. Must have been a wealthy wearer. This has very nice work. I missed several of these when they started appearing, some of which were gilt silver.
Hi Joost,
Your bodice is very nice too. In either case, to have the silver buttons on the original textile is rare and visually gratifying. Many are envious of your collection!
I am certainly happy that we should own this. Howah is to be congratulated on having something yet more exceptional! I am not surprised, Linda, that you should have seen more of these sets of buttons at the time when so much Caucasian material was available. A pity you didn't get an example! The guy we bought it from had no idea what it was. We guessed correctly - but it was not until much later when we came across the photo I referred to.
I like these pieces very much. I find them particularly interesting because I saw a lot of Circassian festival costumes in Jordan. The traditional costume for Jordanians of Circassian decent are essentially the Northern Caucasus costume. This costume is still worn by the King's guard. Another thing is that a lot of the early 20th century silver smiths in Amman were Circassian and much of the jewelry was done in niello with Northern Caucasus motifs.
Hi Edith, - I find these comments very interesting. I have posted the following buckle here and also on Facebook: https://ethnicjewels.ning.com/photo/caucasian-belt?context=user. It is certainly from the northern Caucasus, and a FB observer expressed the view that it is probably Circassian. Do you think she might be right?
The ones I had access to were coming out of Turkey and at the time I did want one but it got sold from under me or lets say from when I said yes it was too late. These were not plentiful and only two were offered and were not cheap.. thousands of dollars. I purchased the belt I got instead which i sold and was posted here in the sight , as well many other good pieces I sold. This is to me a better value since only a few collectors would have wanted them then. So I would't have kept them and wanted to sell them.. however I had not seen any like Howah's at all and only the thin type on small fabric. Howah's to me is more complete and more of a major piece that is worth spending more on if I would have found it because it for me is something I could have worn or sold as that as well as a collectors piece.. or wearible , it has more flexibility for more situations. Inventory or purchase for myself has to be thought of that way now.
Here is an old image of a Circassian lady wearing these type of buttons...
@Linda and Edith. Thank you, Linda: I understand perfectly. When we bought our buttons we were already very heavily into collecting as distinct from and other reason/pretext for buying ethnic jewellery, so to us the buttons were actually more interesting, at the time than the enormous number of buckles and belts. I think of those as inherently beautiful, but although we were happy to buy some, there were just too many for on to go on looking attentively at all, leave alone buying large numbers (as "Caucasian Jewellery" did ...). @Edith: what a useful photo. It is interesting that it does not seem to have been at all abnormal to wear just the buttons, and it is Howah's outfit which is truly unusual. As collectors, Truus and I would also have bought that without hesitation if we had seen it, at any time (including the present), as you just feel you cannot pass up something so wonderful and rare. But I am glad he got it - a very deserving collector indeed. Thanks so much for posting this image!!