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Ring brooch

Title	Ring brooch
Author	Unknown
Publication Date:	1850
Publication Place	algeria (made) -
Subject	Jewellery Africa Metalwork
Type	Other
Language	Undetermined
Digital	Yes
Manuscript	No
Physical Dimensions	(at widest point) diameter: 4.7cm
Library:	Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID	342-1904
Record ID	342-1904
Library Location	Middle East Section
Date	1850
Notes	The traditional jewellery of the Berber tribes of North Africa is almost always made of silver in heavy, clearly-defined shapes. Although individual pieces rarely date back any earlier than the 19th century, the designs are very old, and European observers liked to find traces of Roman or Phoenician influence. The use of ring brooches to fasten womenâs traditional clothing is universal across the region and dates back to late Roman times. Most of these brooches are penannular in shape, with all the decoration lavished on the head of the pin, but true ring brooches, like this example, survived in a few places, mainly in Algeria, up to the end of the 19th century. Circular ring brooches were used singly, in the centre of the forehead or on the chest, unlike the penannular brooches, which were always worn in pairs to hold the dress together. The word medouar means âroundâ in Arabic.
Malzemeler ve teknikler	Engraved sheet silver Silver Engraving
Fiziksel açıklama	Flat silver ring brooch shaped like a star with eight tabs of irregular size round its edge. It is decorated on the front with simple engraved patterns. The tang is made from plain silver wire hooked into a hole at the side of the central space.

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Victoria and Albert Museum

Ring brooch

Author Unknown

Publication Date 1850

Publication Place algeria (made) -

Subject Jewellery Africa Metalwork

Type Other

Language Undetermined

Digital Yes

Manuscript No

Physical Dimensions (at widest point) diameter: 4.7cm

Library Victoria and Albert Museum

Library Asset ID 342-1904

Record ID 342-1904

Library Location Middle East Section

Date 1850

Notes The traditional jewellery of the Berber tribes of North Africa is almost always made of silver in heavy, clearly-defined shapes. Although individual pieces rarely date back any earlier than the 19th century, the designs are very old, and European observers liked to find traces of Roman or Phoenician influence. The use of ring brooches to fasten womenâs traditional clothing is universal across the region and dates back to late Roman times. Most of these brooches are penannular in shape, with all the decoration lavished on the head of the pin, but true ring brooches, like this example, survived in a few places, mainly in Algeria, up to the end of the 19th century. Circular ring brooches were used singly, in the centre of the forehead or on the chest, unlike the penannular brooches, which were always worn in pairs to hold the dress together. The word medouar means âroundâ in Arabic.

Malzemeler ve teknikler Engraved sheet silver Silver Engraving

Fiziksel açıklama Flat silver ring brooch shaped like a star with eight tabs of irregular size round its edge. It is decorated on the front with simple engraved patterns. The tang is made from plain silver wire hooked into a hole at the side of the central space.