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Necklace with pendant (waqari or wakari?)
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Ornate filigree jewelry was historically made in Ethiopia for royals and nobility by specialized silversmiths trained through long apprenticeships. This elaborate pendant necklace (<em>waqari)</em> probably made and worn in the Muslim city of Harar. Muslim women wore such massive jewelry, which holds aesthetic links to nearby Yemen. Its half-moon pendant is a protective crescent shape and its upper filigreed capsule is an amulet. The crescent symbol has existed as a talismanic form in Ethiopia since the Aksumite Empire (1–700s CE).
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, unknown silversmith |
|---|---|
| Date | likely early to mid-1900s |
| Culture / Origin | East Africa, probably Harar, Ethiopia, unknown silversmith |
| Medium | silver alloy, glass |
| Department | African Art |
| Type | Jewelry |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
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