Silver belt ornament, Tunisia

Silver ring called “holga” that hangs from the waist of Berber women, in Tunisia. This kind of ornament is only worn in the West of the country, in Sfax and Mahdia. It is used to hang a part of the clothes when doing every day tasks, especially hard in the rural regions. In 1986 Samira Gargouir-Sethom (see literature) was already stating that these rings were becoming rare.

Small pendants like Fatima’s hands protect the wearer from the evil eye.

High-grade silver.

From the 1st half of the 20th century.

Dimensions:

Size: 17 x 10,5 cm (6,69 x 4,13 inches)
Width: 1 cm  (0,39 inches)

Weight (hollow inside): 87,6 gr

Literature:

“Ceintures ethniques d’Afrique d’Asie, d’Océanie et d’Amérique”, Leurquin, Anne, Skira, 2004
“Le bijou traditionnel en Tunisie” Samira Gargouri-Sethom, Edisud, 1986

TUN05

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