Fibula, One of a Pair
Perhaps the best-known form of North African Berber jewelry is the triangular shaped fibula. This large pair would have been worn at the shoulder, and is ornamented on the recto and verso with brightly colored enamels that are typical of the Kabylie region in Algeria. Enameling techniques in North African Berber jewelry are believed to have been brought by jewelers exiled from Muslim Spain after the Reconquista in the fifteenth century.
Artwork Details
- Title: Fibula, One of a Pair
- Date: first half 20th century
- Geography: Attributed to Algeria, Kabylie
- Medium: Silver, enamel, imitation coral
- Dimensions: H. 10 in. (25.4 cm)
W. 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm) - Classification: Jewelry
- Credit Line: Bequest of Helen Winslow Durkee Mileham, 1954
- Object Number: 55.111.50
- Curatorial Department: Islamic Art
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