This paper explores the social and cultural transitions which occurred during the late Iron Age and early Roman periods (circa 100 BCE-200 CE) in the modern counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. I discuss issues of identity (belonging) and how people may have responded to these changes through portable personal objects (belongings). I use the… Continue Reading
The Southern cross, Boghdad/Boghdod or Moghdad is widely seen in West Africa and Southern Morocco. This type of pendant seems to be strongly connected to the Moors, and those with contact with the Moors, including the nomadic peoples in the Western part of the Sahara and all the other related groups as well as those who came… Continue Reading
Belts and buckles : who wore them and why? Belts with metal buckles have been very popular items in the female dress style in the Balkans sincethe XVIII th century and their popularity was believed to came as Ottoman influence in the area. Even the word used to name the metal buckles comes from… Continue Reading
Jewellery has been used as a tool of communication throughout history. Jewellery has the ability to convey a message to others. During certain points in history jewellery became a clear and definite statement of a political movement. In the Uk in 1903 Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union, she developed a new… Continue Reading
The Khamsa or Hamesh is an amulet in the form of a hand, which is popular throughout North Africa and the Middle East. It is worn by those of Islamic and Jewish faith alike. Historically the symbol as a form of amuletic protection has been traced to Carthage, where the representation of the hand of… Continue Reading
Around 10% of Sadhus are women, they are called Sadhvis, most women become Sadhvi following the death of their husband, so young Sadhvi are rarely seen. A Sadhvi is a Hindu holy woman, she is dedicated to achieving Moska (liberation) through meditating and contemplating Brahman. Sadhbi in sanscrit means a woman who renounces material attatchments,… Continue Reading
In February 2009, I bought a Tuareg “magic square” ring – actually, both my first and my favorite one – from an online gallery in the US, and shortly thereafter found myself having to explain to the enthusiastic vendor why I wasn’t also interested in buying an African divination box made from a monkey skull.… Continue Reading
Why might a rich Yoruba lady living in southern Nigeria over a century ago choose to have zigzags embroidered on her expensive wrapper cloth? This is a unique piece with no similar examples known and no ethnographic context to explain it, so we can only speculate based on our knowledge of Nigerian textile history and… Continue Reading
The Maasai people live nomadically in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, also known as the great lakes region. The origins of the Maasai people has been traced back to the 15th century in the lower Nile valley. The Maasai worship a single deity called Enkai or Engai; Enkai has two personas, Enkai Narok (… Continue Reading
In the early 20th Century, European artists stripped antiquities and African tribal art of their religious significance. The pieces, with bold, minimalist shapes and lines, influenced Modernism and Cubism in design, only, as artists explored the relationship between humanity and the Industrial Revolution. Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes was acclaimed for bringing modern dance to Parisian audiences… Continue Reading
In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of Sikhism, created the Khalsa Panth at Anandpur Sahib. This occasion transformed Sikhs into a family of soldier saints. During the transformative festival Guru Gobind Singh came out of a tent holding a sword, and challenged any Sikh who was prepared to give his life to… Continue Reading
My name is Cenk Sertdemir, or Salchak Kurt Şaman. In this video, I am performing the ritual Sacrament of the Black Sea, or Karadenizde Saman Ayini. It is important to me that people know Siberian Shamanism is directly linked to the real Turkish culture, in which we are called Kham Kishi. It means protector of… Continue Reading
The Naxi people live in Yunnan province China. They migrated to the region from the yellow river area to south China in 770 – 221 BC and settled in the areas near to the Yalong and Jinsha rivers before 221 – 201 BC. The Naxi peoples have their own written language called ‘Dongba characters’. They… Continue Reading
Scarification is a permanent form of adornment which has been practised throughout history. Evidence from Saharan rock paintings suggest it’s use in 8000 – 5000 BC. By cutting the skin and manipulating the healing process or by branding, intricate designs can be created. Scarification in an indigenous context is mostly practised in Africa and Australia.… Continue Reading
Jewish traders and farmers have lived in Morocco’s cities and Atlas mountains since the time of the Roman Empire. However, the most notable Jewish immigration to Morocco came in 1492, when Queen Isabella I of Castille ordered them to convert to Christianity or leave Spain. Each Moroccan city had a separate Jewish quarter called a… Continue Reading
The Fang were once an itinerant people, whose animist cult, bieri, was devoted to ancestor worship. Their statues had reliquary boxes attached, which the Fang carried with them. Without a reliquary box, a statue lost its power. They had a secret society called Ngil (gorilla), accessible only to men. Its purpose was to initiate new… Continue Reading
A ruchnik is a traditional ornamental towel. This towel is a piece of textile which embodies many significant concepts within Belarusian life. In fact the ruchnik are a highly important part of the national culture. The designs of the ruchnik are a mixture of art and symbolism and are seen as representations of the threads… Continue Reading
Woad is a flowering plant of the Brassicaceae family which produces blue colouring. It has been produced since the stone age, with two distinct varieties, the European (Isatis Tinctoria) and the Asian ( Indigofera Tinctoria). Woad is one of the main plant dyes of the European dying industries along with weld which produces Yellow dye… Continue Reading
The Asyk Worn by the Turkoman peoples of Central Asia, the asyk is an imposing adornment which is suspended from the hair by use of plaits as a back ornament. There are many sizes and decorative styles, all of them incorporate a symbol which to the Western eye is a heart, although it is more… Continue Reading
In western cultures we may associate prayer beads to Christianity and Middle Ages. In fact their use is universal and pre-dates the Christian Era. Even today the religions of nearly two thirds of the world’s population utilize some form of prayer beads: Muslims, Buddhists and Christians. The use of prayer beads came from the early… Continue Reading
Spirit Locks are pendants worn by the Hmong and Akha hill tribe people of Thailand, Burma and Laos. Traditionally these Padlock- esque pendants are worn around the neck often as a counter weight at the back of a neck ring. The spirit lock is believed to keep the soul, which resides within the head locked… Continue Reading
A Lingam necklace is a silver casket worn to contain a piece of smooth oval stone called a Lingum. The Lingam ( Ishtalinga) stone is a natural river worn stone primarily of Jasper found in the Narmada river ( a tributary of the Ganges River) in India. The lingam stone represents the God Shiva. In… Continue Reading
Holland has a rich variety in traditional styles of dress in province from north to south, east to west. Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands. This is the story told by my mother. She learned this from her silversmith grandfather many years ago: Men, as in many cultures, were adorning their… Continue Reading
The symbol of forces perpetuating life. Karakalpak – A type of Tu’yme worn in Central Asia by the Karakalpak peoples is known as Qurbaqa meaning the frog. Egypt – The frog was a symbol of life and fertility, millions of frogs were born each year after the inundation of the Nile, which… Continue Reading
Khamsa – The Hand in North African Jewelry The khamsa, or hand, is a widely used symbol in North African jewelry. In design it can take the form of a realistic human hand with four fingers and a thumb, or it can take a stylized form which is more representational. Either way, the khamsa is… Continue Reading
Tanit – Thinit – Tanis – Rat Tanit – Lady of Carthage – Lady of the Sanctuary – Tinit – Tank – The face of Ba’al – The heavenly Goddess – Tanith – The heavenly virgin. All are names to represent the original great goddess, an ancient and powerful force and symbol of fertility and… Continue Reading
The language of adornment The drive to adorn oneself is considered by some to be one of the most basic human drives, following closely the need to procreate and survive. The act of personal adornment is far from a simple exercise in beauty, and can communicate much about a person and their living environment. The… Continue Reading