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Comments

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  Alaa eddine SAGID June 17, 2011 at 12:05am

  Definetely a very nice Mroccan "LUHA".

  Does it bear any hallmark on its back?
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  Ethnic Embellishments June 17, 2011 at 12:35am

  It's hard to tell if there is a hallmark, there may be part of a hallmark on the reverse on the upper right hand side.  I'll try to take a photo.  The back is not the neatest and there is a scratch across the back, as one often sees in old Yemeni jewelry; a "test" to see if the piece is silver or silver plated.  I am assuming that that is what the scratch is for.  The possible hallmark may be a result of the poor background.  Is a 'luha" the board that students of the Qur'an write on in the madrassa?  That would make complete sense with this shape, it seems too different to be a doorway pendant.
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  Alaa eddine SAGID June 17, 2011 at 12:45am

  "luha" is the arabic word for board, yes!

   

  My feeling (it is only a personal deduction) is that these pendants were worn by mothers whose child have achieved the complete memorization of the Quran, thus receiving their learning board decorated by their teachers as a degree or certificate!

   

  When one knows the pride the quran learners were entitled, one understands why their mothers would have been keen to show off their child's success among society!!

   

  This custom would have been quite normal, when one knows that all the proominent stages of life as well as the great achievements of children were highlighted through the adronmement by their mothers (birth, circumcision, marriage.....)
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  Toya June 17, 2011 at 12:49am

  This is a lovely piece. I almost bid on it too,  but was not sure about the scalloped top which seemed more ornate than I had seen before on a Moroccan luha. That made me wonder if Indian was correct after all. But now I see this close up I think Moroccan for sure. Good choice.
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  Ethnic Embellishments June 17, 2011 at 1:01am

  Toya, I too was unsure, but when the price was dropped with free shipping, I thought, even if it's not silver, I like it a lot.  It is so much more beautiful in person with a light polishing to bring out the silver yet keep the amazing patina.  I always post photos with a ruler for size as photos on their own so often times are deceiving.  

   

  Ayis, what are the other ornaments for marriage, birth, & circumcision? 
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  Alaa eddine SAGID June 17, 2011 at 1:12am

  Some examples:

   

  Among some arab tribes from the atlantic plains, when a child is circumcised women of the family will rearrange their hairdressing, keeping only two braids with one silver coin as finial

   

  Kabyle women would tie their "tabzimt" on their forehead as soon as they give birth to a male child

  The famous egyptian,lybian and tunisian "salhiya" pendant, in the form of a horseshoe could give an indication of how many male child the woman who wears it had given birth to, only by counting the missing tips!

   

  Every tribesmen from the "ait hdiddou" berber tribe would have been able to recognise a married, divorced, widow or virgin from looking at their headress

   

  Chaouia ladies were forbidden to wear their cloves and incence paste necklace when their husbands were away from home.......ect.....

   

   
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  Ethnic Embellishments June 17, 2011 at 1:24am

  Very interesting.  I like you're idea of the mother wearing the "luha" when one of her children memorized the Qur'an.  In an Islamic society, it makes complete sense that a woman would wear an ornament for this reason.  According to Islamic tradition direct from the Prophet, great respect is due to one's mother and one would do great honor to one's mother by memorizing the Qur'an.
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  Alaa eddine SAGID June 17, 2011 at 1:42am

  Don't forget that women were illetrate and that is maybe a way to get their share of learning and show it off

   

  But i guess that more than the pride, the mother captures the power engulfed in the whole quran by using the privilieged channel wich links her to their child and materialize it in the form of a board that she hangs on her neck (in the same shape of the board her chil brought back from the mosque as a certificate)......by that the "luha" is completely sound when collectors and researches catalog it as a magic/talismanic pendants along with Khamsas

   

  Sorry i have too much imagination :-)
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  Toya June 17, 2011 at 3:23am

  Are all very large board -like pendants considered to be luhas, regardless of their shape?
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  Alaa eddine SAGID June 17, 2011 at 11:30am

   

  when they bear  fingers or at least a reminescent shape or chasing of fingers, they become khamsas regardless of their dimension

   

   

  otherwise they are called luhas!