Group of Turkman Ornaments, nos. 2018.922.1–.6a, .6b
These bold silver ornaments come from the world of the Turkman tribes of Central Asia. Some of the forms such as the lozenge shaped amulet holder or Quran box relate to the styles of jeweled arts of the courts and urban centers. But most of these large and vibrant ornaments are a final expression of the unique sensibility of the Turkman people as their nomadic life gives way to modernity.
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Artwork Details
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Title:Headband
Date:late 19th–early 20th century
Geography:Attributed to Central Asia or Iran
Medium:Silver; fire gilded, with silver shot, pins, stamped beading evoking granulation, loop-in-loop chains, pendants, and table-cut carnelians
Dimensions:H. 8 in. (20.3 cm) W. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm)
Classification:Jewelry
Credit Line:Gift of Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf, 2018
Object Number:2018.922.3
Headbands MMA 2011.584.2, 2016.714.14, and 2018.922.3
These three headbands are lighter in construction and use thinner plaques than those in nos. 2006.544.10 and 2016.714.6. These silsila-type headbands exemplify the plain tradition in Turkmen silver ornament associated with the Ersari.
No. 2011.584.2 is composed of three rows of small, narrow linked plaques. The top row features embossed plaques made in matrices, a ram’s head terminal, and pointed rectangular shapes at the ends. The second row also features plaques, and the third row is made up of very thin lozenges in alternating layers. The headband’s elegant effect was enhanced by the addition of graceful, elongated, and graduated temple ornaments with long chains. The whole produced an effect similar to that of ancient Scythian and Hellenistic headdresses, as has been argued by Peter Andrews.[16]
Similarly, the profusion of lozenges and the lightweight construction of no. 2018.922.3, an example of a sanjalik headband, recalls the oldest tradition of ancient Near Eastern headgear adornment, with garlands of flowers or ears of corn hanging on either side of the face.[17] The large, shot-size beads and pseudo-granulation are related to eleventh- to thirteenth-century Fatimid and Seljuk jewelry tradition.[18] Works such as these are the principal evidence supporting the archaistic character of Turkmen ornaments as well as their originality and power.
Layla S. Diba in [Diba 2011]
Footnotes:
16. Andrews, P. A. “Crowning the Bride. Some Historical Evidence on Türkmen Women’s Costume with Particular Reference to the Yomut of Khurasan and the Türkmen of Anatolia.” Folk 33 (1991), p. 99.
17. Ibid., p. 97.
18. Brosh, Na'ama. Takhshitim me-'olam ha Isla'm/ Islamic Jewelry. Exh. cat., Israel Museum. Jerusalem, 1987, p. 68; Kalter, Johannes, and Margareta Pavaloi, eds. Uzbekistan: Heirs to the Silk Road. New York, 1997, p. 288.
Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf, New York, NY (by 2006–18; gifted to MMA)
Diba, Layla S. "Silver Ornaments from the Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf Collection." In Turkmen Jewelry. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011. no. 17, pp. 61–62, ill. (color).
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