Ethnic Berber earrings from Tiznit, Morocco,
with colorful enamel and small coins ($100).
Tuareg tribe tsabit earrings
Women's earrings from the nomadic Tuareg tribe of North Africa, called tsabit.
Prices are $175, $225, or $225/pair, in the order shown for these three different large pairs.
The Tuareg are often called 'the blue people' due to their use of indigo cloth which can leave a blue hue on their skin. Known for being fierce warriors, this is one tribe you wouldn't want to mess with!
More Tuareg tribe hoop earrings:
The first shows two small tsabit pairs. $100/pair.
The second shows the more typically sized tsabit:
The top pair are a little different from each other and are thus merely $100/pair.
The bottom pair still have quite angular knobs and exquisite incised decorations. $300/pair.
This is the first time we have encountered pieces like this!
$75-80/pair (side and front views shown); the right hand style has sold for $60/pair.
(The original collector later informed us that these lovelies might actually be from Yemen...
considering their proximity and cross-cultural influences, this is not all that surprising.)
For documenation, please refer to page 57 in
A World of Earrings;
an image of them being worn appears on p. 139 of
African Ark.
Ethiopian women's giant clay lip plates
Six plain dark clay Ethiopian Mursi tribe women's giant lip plates. These run $150-$200/each.
Please click on these thumbnails to view images posted at life size of each side and the flares.
Two engraved Ethiopian tribal women's clay lip plates.
Both sides and a view of the flares are shown. Please call for pricing.
These have been scanned smaller than life size. They are $30/pair.
We have several different combinations of colors of beadwork to choose from, please ask!
We now have a few more pairs, shown over on our newly acquired page.
Several examples Maasai jewelry can be found in the seminal work
Maasai,
as well as
Africa Adorned (especially on p. 26-29);
examples of beaded leather earflaps are also shown on p.54 of
A World of Earrings.
Maasai elder men's copper mindo earweights
We've tried to carry these for the past several years with no luck...
we finally have a few pairs in stock again (for now) - enjoy!
They are new, and are $30/pair.
Maasai ear cuffs (aka earclips): however you'd like to call them, we got 'em!
These have many colorful beads set on wire. $30/pair.
Two views are shown of the same three pairs.
The second and third pairs have SOLD.
Maasai women's leather ear flaps
Maasai women's leather gonito ear flaps, traditionally worn in large earlobe piercings.
This gorgeous pair comes on a very sturdy black colored metal stand (not shown). $80/set. SOLD
An additional shipping charge may apply due to the weight of the stand.
Click on this small thumbnail to view a life-sized scan.
These Maasai women's ear pieces have beads and metal (tin?) and buttons sewed onto them for decoration. Click on the small scan to view them at their full size. One piece out of each pair is shown. $60/pair SOLD.
Please note: we can usually get more pairs of Maasai leather ear flaps-just ask!!!
Barabaig tribe earweights
New Barabaig tribe from Tanzania omega-shaped brass earweights with pounded in aluminum.
The Barabaig are culturally similar to, but traditional enemies with the Maasai,
but differ in several ways including linguistic family and their practice of facial scarification.
They are known for their traditional rainmaking practices.
We obtained these from a project that was started to bring money into the community. $55/pair.
Turkana tribe septum jewelry
Aluminum Turkana men's leaf-shaped akaparaparat septum pieces with stamped designs.
These can also be seen worn by Pokot men, and in the upper ears of Turkana women.
While these exact pieces have SOLD, we can get very similar ones.
Prices have gone up from the last time we acquired these. I anticipate them being around $55-$65/each.
For an image of a man wearing one, please see p. 15 in
Africa Adorned.
Turkana tribe labrets
Copper and other metal Turkana atepes labrets:
women's (around $60/each) and men's (around $75/each).
These exact pieces have sold, but we can get very similar ones. Prices are estimated.
The Turkana are from Kenya, East Africa. These labrets are also worn by related tribes.
Page 33 in
Africa Adorned shows an example of this type of labret.
This Turkana labret has SOLD; it was likely a women's labret.
Erica took the above picture at a body art museum in Malacca, Malaysia!
The caption read:
"This elaborately adorned married Toposa woman of Southern Sudan has a long wire piercing her lower lip."
Neolithic quartz labrets
Assorted shapes and sizes of Neolithic quartz labrets and long plugs. Most have broken tips.
These are said to be 4000 to 6000 years old from the Tillemsi region of Mali.
$20/each, two for $35, three for $50... or take all 11 for $150!
Now wholesale priced for everyone - no retail markup!
Middle Eastern Jewelry:
Yeman, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan
Yemeni earrings
Three pairs of huge old Yemeni hoop earrings. $150/pair.
Hoop earrings from Yemen. They are $30/pair.
Probably made by Jewish silversmiths.
Turkmen earrings
Turkoman silver with areas of gold wash tenecir earrings, inlaid with lapis. $80/pair.
These are new versions of the traditional tenecir designs that are more often seen with carnelian inlays.
They are worn both as earrings and as temple ornaments hanging from a headdress.
Front and back views shown.
For reference, please see p. 81 in
A World of Earrings, and p. 96 in
Ethnic Jewellery.
Afghani earrings
Pakistani old earrings representing opium poppy buds. $75/pair.
Huge old Afghani silver coiled hoop earrings. $70/pair.
Though attributed to many different areas, such as Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and India,
I believe the origins of these to be the Swat Valley, Pakistan. $200/pair.
These traditional big hoop earrings are unusual in that they do not normally have the gold (?) wash.
Humongous Afghani earrings. The biggest we've ever seen!
Giant hoop earrings with Uzbeki-like coiled metal and bumpy bead bottoms. $100/pair.
Click on this thumbnail to view the life-sized image in all it's glory!
Earrings from South Afghanistan. $55/pair and $85/pair.
Nose (nostril) rings
An ornate Afghanistani (?) nose ring ($20).
This piece might actually be from Sinkiang (China) rather than Afghanistan.
Nose ring from Uzbekistan ($35).
Note the unusual form of closure with the bead shown in it's center.
The earrings below have been attributed at times to Afghanistan, Sinkiang (China), and Yunnan (China).
Whatever the truth may be (and perhaps they are worn and traded in all of these places, as the borders of each of these geopolitical regions meet, and cultural boundaries often are not so clearly demarcated),
they are an amazing rare style of filigree earrings that I feel quite lucky to be able to offer. Enjoy!
These old earrings are $55/pair for the two top pairs,
$60/pair for the bottom left, and $75/pair for the bottom right.
All have some subtle parts of the filigree missing due to age and wear.
Kuchi tribal earrings: General Information
These earrings are from the nomadic Kuchi tribes of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
An alternative spelling is 'Koochi'; this word simply means nomadic,
and is not the name of just one tribe; they are ethnically Pashtuns.
We also call them belly dance earrings as many of them have little bells on the bottoms.
Please click on the images below to view them at the correct size; these thumbnails are not to scale.
Labels describing general categories of shapes have been included on the left-hand group image below.
Most are $20/pair (your choice); some with extra chains or yarn attachments are a bit more.
Another option is two pairs of earrings for $35, or three pairs for $50 (our choices).
Additionally, many fabulous singles are available for $8/each. We've seen these sold as nostril rings.
Many of the wires average 14ga to 15ga, though some are as thin as 16ga.
Most of the earrings have no upper hooks-like those shown above, dome shapes,
or there are longer versions with hooks which attach to a headdress or the hair
to help support the weight-like those on the far right.
Most have colored glass inlays, some have lapis or enamel inlay; some enamel imitates lapis.
Most have ball or bell shapes (ghungroo or khungru) on the bottoms,
with the resulting degree of noise varying from dull to jangly.
Singles can be adapted for wear for many uses such as pendants and headress pieces; some of these are the most amazing of all the Kuchi pieces, or else they would not have been chosen at all! Kuchi women don't seem to wear them in exact pairs, though, but we have done our best to match them up as closely as possible-please keep that in mind! It is not unusual for the earhooks to face the same direction within a pair, and thus one piece may have to be inserted back to front. Chains may look a bit different or be different lengths; colors of glass inclusions will vary; hook shapes will vary; metal coloration will shift; all of these differences can occur between the two pieces within a pair, as well as from pair to pair. No two pairs are ever identical, and will thus look slightly different than the pieces featured in the above images; these exact earrings have sold many years ago. We have many pairs currently available that are not shown.
Kuchi tribal earrings: Current Stock
Unlike the images shown above, these do represent actual pairs we have in stock right now.
Various examples of our current stock of Kuchi tribal earrings. Most are $20/pair.
The main categories shown are: red crescents, blue crescents, and multicolored (all $20/pair);
pink, green, and blue mirrored earrings having long chains with hook ends ($30/pair), and
temple domes (with thick hooks; can be hung to the sides of the face from a headdress or scarf).
These photos are not shown at life size like most of our other images;
please click on these thumbnails to view versions posted at around half size.
Please refer to them by position: for example, multicolored earrings, the left-hand column, fourth pair down.
The following pairs are ON HOLD: on the red crescents image,
all three pairs on the top row, middle pair of the 2nd row, and right hand pair of the 3rd row;
left column, fourth pair down (#D) on the blue crescents image;
left column, fourth pair down (#D) with blue and green on multicolored image;
the middle pair with pink, green, and blue of the long chains with hook ends;
top left and bottom right pairs on the temple domes image.
Here is an image made for a customer who requested Kuchi tribal earrings with the smallest wires we had.
Please click on this thumbnail image to view one posted at real size.
The pair on the top left and the pair in the middle on the right-hand side have been SOLD.
Note minor differences and cluster of three in the bottom left quadrant for you to choose your favorites!
Kuchi tribal barettes, singles, pendants, and more!
We always have some Kuchi tribal pendants and occasionally barettes available ($10-$15/each),
as well as anklets. Images of the exact pieces of our current stock of pendants, barettes,
and many types of single earrings (or noserings) have been posted below.
1st row: hair barrettes (some with birds; two of the colorful glass inlay ones have SOLD);
single hoops or noserings (the largest one with blue inlays has SOLD),
2nd row: many unique and varied pendants with lots of chains and bells:
the middle pendant from the middle image has SOLD,
3rd row: two pendants (click on this full-sized image to view one of the back sides),
4th row: SINGLE pieces of red crescent or blue crescent (#A SOLD) inlaid earrings (note: NO PAIRS),
5th row: SINGLE dome-shaped earrings (#D, H, I SOLD), unique earrings (note #A no clasp; #B SOLD),
(note these are NOT PAIRS); and even nipple-like dangly ornaments in the far right position.
These hail from nomadic Afghan and Pakistani tribes. I've learned that Kuchi (or Koochi) is more of a generic term for nomadic people, and does not specifically refer to one tribe. They are ethnically Pashtun.
Please click these thumbnail-sized images to view ones at full size.
Some of the groupings have letters to help you refer to them, others you'll just have to give me the description of where it is in the picture, such as bottom row, second from the right.
Barrettes and pendants run $10-$15/each,
while single earrings are $8/each or 2 pieces for $15.
This jewelry is wholesale priced for everyone - no retail markup. Enjoy!
Kuchi tribal bracelets and anklets
JUST UPDATED!!! Kuchi tribal long cuffs from Afghanistan/Pakistan. $15/each.
Most are for slender wrists only. Similar ones are grouped together; most are singles.
These images are only thumbnails and are not to scale;
click each to see a larger version (which will also not be life-sized).
Please refer to these as images #A through #F:
#A (pairs; the top left and bottom left pairs have SOLD), and
#B (ornate cuffs and colorful clasps),
#C (top row are angular)/#D (colorful glass inlays; the top right two have SOLD),
#E (plain cuffs without glass inlay), and
#F (shorter cuffs and bracelets; the first two on the top row, and the bottom right piece have SOLD).
Kuchi tribal anklets with bells, sewed onto fabric backings, from Afghanistan.
These are made from mixed base metals (often called 'gillet' or 'white brass') and not silver.
Please click these thumbnails to view full-sized images. In order, they are:
#A with very small internal diameter (maybe for arm?) and slightly bigger bells $20/single,
#B $20/single-SOLD, or #C a little brassy $20/single.
Kuchi tribal collars or choker necklaces
Afghanistani tribal belly dance necklaces and chokers/collars. $25/each.
Most have with bells, coins, inlaid glass, enamel, or lapis, some have beads sewn onto fabric backings.
Note that a few do not come with the attached yarn that is necessary for wear.
This image is only a thumbnail and is not to scale;
click it to see a larger version (which will also not be full-sized).
Kuchi tribal belts
Sewn and embroidered cloth, coin, metal, mirror, bell, bead, and rondelle Kuchi tribal belts.
The Kuchi are a group of nomads from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Very colorful and noisy. Great for tribal belly dance!
$45/each. The bottom one has SOLD.
This image is only a thumbnail and is not to scale;
click it to see a larger version (which will also not be full-sized).
We sometimes have other Kuchi tribal belts in this same price range.
Some varieties are base metal instead of cloth, with enamal or lapis inlays.
Kuchi tribal headdresses
Kuchi (Afghanistan) tribal head ornaments with bells and beads.
$20-25/each. All pieces have SOLD.
Please ask to be placed on a wait list if you would like these in the future.
The first has an upper hook that would go into a headdress or the hair,
while the other four have a fabric piece that would keep them in place over the head.
Please click the thumbnail-sized images to view scans done at real size.
Click the thumbnails below
to view our selection of ethnic jewelry from various parts of the world.
