Author
Unknown
Publication Date
1800
Publication Place
Cyprus (made) -
Subject
Jewellery Metalwork
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
Width: 5cm
Library
Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID
1551-1888
Record ID
1551-1888
Library Location
Middle East Section
Date
1800
Notes
Bracelets, always worn in pairs, were part of the traditional costume in almost all Islamic cultures. The use of flexible wire is Ottoman in origin, and bracelets of complex interlocking wire, like this one, were mainly worn by women in the rich cities, particularly in Syria and the Holy Land. The jewellery of Cyprus, due to its heritage and location, forms part of this general Ottoman tradition, and is often very similar to the jewellery of Syria. It was worn both by Muslims and the predominant Orthodox Christian population of the island. This bracelet was acquired with a collection of other Cypriot jewellery in 1888, just after a terrible famine, when many people had to sell their family heirlooms to survive. It was described as 18th or 19th-century in date.
Malzemeler ve teknikler
Plaited silver wire with filigree clasp Silver Filigree
Fiziksel açıklama
Bracelet made from a plait of silver wire. Each of the three threads that form the plait is made from four wires laid side by side: two twisted wires between two plain ones. At each end the plait is decorated with half a filigree rosette, with a pin fastening between them. The pin is made of doubled wire which is secured by a bar inside the hinge so that it cannot fall out and be lost.