H x W x D: 1.1 x 1.1 x 1.1 cm (7/16 x 7/16 x 7/16 in.)
Type:
Jewelry
Geography:
Mauritania
Date:
Late 19th-early 20th century
Label Text:
Jewish artisans who fled Spain during the Inquisition in the late 15th century and settled in North Africa brought with them the jewelry techniques of filigree and granulation. While the delicate linear designs and ornamental forms of these beads are centuries old, the objects themselves were probably created only about a hundred years ago. Gold can be easily melted and remade into new forms in keeping with changing patterns of taste and wealth.
Description:
11 gilded silver circular beads with two holes.
Provenance:
Roy and Brigitta Mitchell, Washington, D.C., -- to 2010
Exhibition History:
African Mosaic: Selections from the Permanent Collection, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2013–August 12, 2019 (deinstalled July 9, 2019)
African Mosaic: Celebrating a Decade of Collecting, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 19, 2010-November 13, 2013
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
