Collection record · Small worlds
Necklace (muriya or murriyya)
The collection record classifies this work as jewelry. It is dated late 1800s or early 1900s. Recorded culture or place: Africa, East Africa, probably Harar, Ethiopia, unknown silversmith.
Explore the object recordOBJECT RECORD
A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Necklace (muriya or murriyya)
- Date
- late 1800s or early 1900s
- Culture / origin
- Africa, East Africa, probably Harar, Ethiopia, unknown silversmith
- Materials and technique
- gilt silver, tree resin (possibly copal)
- Dimensions
- Not specified by the museum
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 2025.155
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
This necklace is from is from the Ethiopian city of Harar, where it was worn only by Muslim women. It was part of the bridal trousseau. The spherical silver beads of this muriya necklace resemble Muslim prayer necklaces. Its warm yellow Baltic amber or Zanzibari copal simultaneously conveyed the wearer’s married status and her access to imported goods. Ornate filigree jewelry was historically made in Ethiopia for royals and nobility by specialized silversmiths trained through long apprenticeships. Customers were generally female, while silversmiths are always male.
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Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Gift of Raymond A. Silverman · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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