Author
Unknown
Publication Date
1860
Publication Place
Syria (made) -
Subject
Jewellery Metalwork
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
Length: 26.5in
(Note: Taken from register)
Library
Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID
1563-1873
Record ID
1563-1873
Library Location
Middle East Section
Date
1860
Notes
The traditional jewellery of the Syrian region, which incorporated much of Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon as well as Syria itself in the 19th century, shows influences from a wide range of sources, reflecting Syriaâs strong trading traditions and central location. The jewellery worn in towns, which is often Ottoman in style, is frequently very different from that worn by the nomadic Bedouin, whose characteristic silver jewellery is much better known today. This chain was described as a znak , or chain to âfasten on the pantoor or horn for the headâ, when it was acquired by the Museum in 1872. Although there are several such chains in the Museumâs collection, and also some pantoors (or tantours as they are now usually known), this description may be an error of transcription. The central hook suggests that it was more likely to have been worn as a forehead ornament than as a chain under the chin. It was bought for four shillings and six pence at the International Exhibition, London, in 1872, as an example of traditional Syrian jewellery. The word znak is a generic Arabic name in the region for chains worn under the chin to hold various kinds of headdress in place.
Malzemeler ve teknikler
Silver-plated chain and sheet pendants with blue glass Plated Glass
Fiziksel açıklama
Long silver-plated chain of interlocking links made in two halves with a triangular plaque in the centre set with six blue cabochon pastes. There is a large flat plain hook at each end and one in the centre attached to the triangular plaque by a short length of loop-in-loop chain. The lower edge holds numerous short loop-in-loop chains ending in flat comma-shaped pendants. There are three longer chains hanging from near each end of the main chain which each ends in a flat circular pendant, and four similar pendants hang from the lower edge of the central triangular plaque.
