Images(2)

Necklace and porte Koran

Artist Unknown

Date19th century or earlier

MediumSilver and amber

DimensionsL. 11 in. (27.9 cm)

ClassificationsJewelry

Credit LineGift of John and Katheryne Loughran

Object numberG.76.21.3

On View

On view

Label TextThe NCMA's collection of North African jewelry is likely all from Somalia, which has a largely Muslim population, though Somali people can be found throughout neighboring countries, including Djibouti, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Jewelry is a sign of wealth for women in Somali society. It can carry protective stones like amber and coral or sacred scriptures from the Qur’an. Some necklaces even show if a woman is married. Since inheritance rights for women are guaranteed by the Qur’an, jewelry is “social capital”: that is, it gives power to a woman within her society.
[S. Frisbie and A. Maples, 8-24-2020]Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "The People's Collection Reimagined" (Thematic Gallery: "Devotion and the Arts in the People's Collection"), June 7, 2025-present. Object Rights Statement

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