Author
Unknown
Publication Date
1860
Publication Place
Syria (made) -
Subject
Jewellery Metalwork
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID
1561-1873
Record ID
1561-1873
Library Location
Middle East Section
Date
1860
Notes
Bracelets, always worn in pairs, were part of the traditional costume in almost all Islamic cultures. In the Syrian region, which incorporated much of Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon as well as Syria itself in the 19th century, they were worn by all sections of society, from townswomen to the nomadic Bedouin of the desert. The designs vary by sector and show influences from a wide area, reflecting Syriaâs strong trading traditions and central location. Bracelets of complex interlocking wire, like this one, were mainly worn by women in the rich cities. This use of flexible wire is Ottoman in origin, and is characteristic of Syrian bracelets of the 19th century. This example was bought for five shillings and sixpence (the pair) at the International Exhibition, London, in 1872. Its name was recorded as â ussuar â, which is a generic Arabic name for bracelets in the region.
Malzemeler ve teknikler
Silver-plated wire and sheet Plated
Fiziksel açıklama
Bracelet made from a strip of silver-plated wire woven into a complex plait with each loop flattened and a raised spine along the centre. There is a flat triangle of silver-plated sheet metal at each end, with the point facing back along the length of the bracelet and a flat edge facing the other terminal, with half a hinge on each side. The two ends are joined by a flat pin which fastens the hinge, with the pin made of doubled wire which is secured by a bar inside the hinge so that it cannot fall out and be lost. The pin is also attached to the body of the bracelet by a short length of figure-of-eight chain and there is a pendent disc at the top of the pin.
