Photo Credit: Sigrid Van Roode

Posted by: Sigrid Van Roode

 Bracelets from South Morocco.

The crude work is that of the late production 1950’s/1970’s (?) to cater for the rural folks still attached to old shapes but the workmanship is very decadent and poor (not negative for the bracelets but just comparatively on the technical and ornamenting level).

The patterns and decoration here are meant to replace enameled appliques and niello, it follows in broad lines the older space compartmenting: what i mean is that where you see the four leaves “flower” was exactly the space which received enameled appliques with a vaguely similar shape and the the little stamped stars occupy what would have been a nielloed space. These could belong to the mass production made in either Tiznit or Tafraoute or even Tarroudant for the surrounding rural area and deeper into the mountain and even towards the western pre-saharan oases, although i would vote for Tiznit as the center of production.

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Tags: Bracelets, Morocco, Silver, southern Morocco, Tiznit