Photos

Comments

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  Joost Daalder June 29, 2011 at 3:26pm

  Hillary, I do not profess to know where these do come from, but I do feel very sure that they are not from the Swat Valley. There is nothing I have ever seen from the Swat Valley in this style, and the workmanship is far too rough for that area. As you ask for an honest opinion I would add that the workmanship is really quite disconcertingly crude, and I suspect that they do not have much age on them, though the crudity also suggests that this is country work undertaken by a relatively unskilled smith. The niello parts indicate a likely Islamic origin. You may wish to look through "A World of Bracelets" for something similar, or ask Linda Pastorino, who is very knowledgeable and may identify the area of origin.
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  Frankie Carter February 14, 2012 at 11:10am

  I have seen similar, though of simpler design, bracelets identified as under the Afghan general term. Sometimes as Kuchi. Occasionally the shield shaped element is offered separately as a ring. In one instance I have seen it identified as possible being a part from a Caucasian belt.
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  Amir February 14, 2012 at 2:13pm

  Hi,I would like to second Frankie Carter madam,This bracelet belongs to Afghanistan.Bracelets like these are available in the market.Will post some pictures by tomorrow and will ask the owner about which area specifically does these bracelets belong.Thank you

  Best Regards

  Amir
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  Frankie Carter February 14, 2012 at 2:56pm

  I should add that the simpler ones I`ve seen have been of white metal. Though not the shield shape.
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  Joost Daalder February 15, 2012 at 12:46pm

  Interestingly, I was looking at pieces posted by Caucasian jewels just now and one of his belts from Georgian featured a shield very similar to this (also in niello, of course). An interesting connection. I thought of you at once, Frankie, and came back here to point this out.
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  Frankie Carter February 15, 2012 at 9:38pm

  Thank you, Joost, for thinking of me.

  I think I have found the belt in question. It has almost shield shapes on it. As does one of kebzari`s.  It`s located in the photo of his collection at the bottom of the rug. I just hope that good belts don`t get broken up to make maybe more saleable, hence lucrative, smaller items.
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  Joost Daalder February 15, 2012 at 9:44pm

  Quite so, Frankie! Thanks for that informative reaction and your good work leading up to it. I had found your reference to the Caucasian shields telling before, and got quit a jolt when I saw one on a belt posted by Caucasian Jewels, quite by accident. It was really almost identical ...
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  Frankie Carter February 19, 2012 at 12:12pm

  Joost, I agree with you on the origin of this bracelet. I think that neither this or the one Amir posted come from the Swat area, as you say - too rough (lots of poppies in Afghanistan, too!).

  I have just acquired a bracelet featuring the niello shield shapes. It was just described under the general heading of Kuchi. I`ve also acquired a ring featuring a similar shield shape but of considerably better workmanship. The seller has a workshop in Istanbul but I don`t know if that`s where the ring was made up. He says the shield shape has come from an Uzbek belt.
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  Joost Daalder February 19, 2012 at 12:48pm

  Thank you very much, Frankie, for that interesting analysis and account. I didn't really like to say that I found the object too rough to come from the Swat area, and respect Hillary greatly, but I couldn't think of any better word to use ...  And it is tremendously satisfying, as I know Hillary agrees, that this site does enable us to increase our knowledge, or to see our hunches confirmed, from time to time.
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  Ethnic Embellishments February 19, 2012 at 4:06pm

  Thank you for all of the information.  I was told that these were from the Swat valley, but I was very unsure as my title and description state.  I'm sure that they're Central Asian and vintage, not terribly old.  The niello shields I believe were cast and then filled with niello and sanded/ polished down, thus accounting for the roughness, this is usually a sign of more "mass" production.  I've since seen almost identical shields used in earrings; I think that they were posted by Michel of Halter.