Collar Stud

Part of the everyday clothing of the Turkmen women, flower collars, or guljaka, close the front of a dress. Even these utilitarian decorations carried symbolic meanings similar to other silver jewelry. While the guljaka was especially common in the regions of Turkmenia (today the area south of Kazakhstan and north of Iran), by the eighteenth century its use spread throughout Central Asia and was worn by all Turkoman tribes. This scalloped silver collar stud consists of two gilded disks soldered together, embossed with vine and floral patterns in low relief, and embellished with turquoise and glass stones.