Artwork Page for Necklace (ashän ketab) with amulet pendants (tälsäm)

Details / Information for Necklace (ashän ketab) with amulet pendants (tälsäm)

Necklace (ashän ketab) with amulet pendants (tälsäm)

late 1800s or early 1900s

Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia, unknown silversmith

Medium
silver alloy
Credit Line
Gift of Raymond A. Silverman 2025.152
Public Domain
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Location
108C African Jewelry and Metalwork
Print
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Did You Know?

Ethiopian silver jewelry is made by melting high-purity Maria Theresa thaler coins made from the 1700s to the 1900s.

Description

Ornate filigree jewelry was historically made in Ethiopia for royals and nobility by specialized silversmiths trained through long apprenticeships. This silver necklace is composed of numerous box-shaped amulet pendants (tälsäm) meant to ward off the evil eye or other dangers. Linked to Islamic amuletic practices, the boxes are effective whether empty or whether they contain magical or prayerful texts. Their fine filigree and granulation work is characteristic of Harar as well as the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian city of Aksum.
A silver alloy necklace features a black cord strung with eleven textured pendants and cylindrical beads. At the center sits a rectangular charm, flanked by symmetrical pairs of semicircular, rectangular, triangular, and circular ornaments. Each pendant is adorned with raised geometric patterns and tiny metal spheres. These matte silver pieces, separated by ribbed spacers, create a rhythmic display of geometric forms against the dark, knotted cord looped at the top.

Necklace (ashän ketab) with amulet pendants (tälsäm)

late 1800s or early 1900s

Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia, unknown silversmith

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