Ida Ou Nadif
Anti-Atlas Mountains, Morocco
Northern Africa and the Sahel
Jewelry
INV-2737
Ida Ou Nadif
Anti-Atlas Mountains, Morocco
Northern Africa and the SahelLate 19th or early 20th century
ida ou NadifArts of Africamoroccanafrican Artjewelrymetal
Date
Late 19th or early 20th century
Medium
Silver, enamel, niello, glass, leather, and fabric
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Edward E. Ayer Endowment in memory of Charles L. Hutchinson
The Ida Ou Nadif and other Imazighen peoples have developed highly distinctive jewelry styles. These bracelets, earrings, and headband are embellished with patterns in a black metal alloy mixture called niello. The box was designed to hold a copy of the Qu’ran and hang from a chain around a devotee’s neck. Across northern Africa exquisite silver jewelry defines a woman’s wealth and comprises an important part of the wedding gift that a man gives to his fiancée.
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