Silver and glass temple pendant
Datelate 19th century
PeriodRussian Empire
Place MadeAfghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, or Uzbekistan, Asia
MediumSilver and glass beads
Dimensions18.2 x 6.5 cm (7 3/16 x 2 9/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Drs. John and Bessie Sawhill
Object number76.1.237
On View
Not on viewLabel TextTurkmen temple pendants were worn in pairs, attached to a woman’s headdress. This sort of fringed jewelry sometimes obscured the face completely, with dangling chains that shimmered and clinked, catching both the eyes and ears of passersby. Men, women, and children often wore jewelry with symbolic motifs and materials, as seen in here in the triangular and ovoid anthropomorphic shapes, which were associated with the female form. The smaller pendants on the ends of the chains take a fish motif–a symbol of fertility. These shapes are not just found in jewelry, but resurface across different mediums, including ikat fabrics. (100 words)
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