Turkmen jewelry

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A Turkmen lute, gilded and fitted with cornelians

Turkmen jewelry is a type of jewelry originating among the various Turkmen cultures of Western and Central Asia.[1] The jewelry was crafted both for cosmetic and spiritual reasons, and the amount of jewelry an individual adorned themselves with was equated to the person's rank in society.[2]

History[]

A semi-nomadic people, the various Turkmen tribes often came into contact with urban population centers in the Middle East.[1] Turkmen jewelers benefited from these exchanges, which allowed knowledge of jewel-crafting to spread to the Turkmen. Turkmen Jewelry is not homogeneous, as major variations existed between the artisans of the different Turkmen tribes.[3] Silver set with precious stones became the most widely produced variant of Turkmen Jewelry.[2] Turkmen tradition holds that precious stones are beneficial to human health, and many Turkmen tribes believed jewels to possess magical powers.[2] The subjects depicted on the jewelry varied; some pieces depicted animals and floral patterns, while others displayed images of mountains sacred to the Turkmen or geometrical patterns.[1] Different gems were thought to have different effects on their wearers. Carnelians and silver were worn to ward off death and disease, while turquoise was worn as a symbol of purity.[2][1]

Jewelry was used as a way to establish one's rank in Turkmen society. According to art historian , Turkmen jewelry was created for and worn by all ranks of Turkmen society, from Khans to those at "subsistence level."[3] It was believed that, by wearing jewelry set with precious stones early in her life, a young woman could increase her fertility. After giving birth, a woman would then slowly decrease the amount of jewelry she wore as she aged.[1] Dresses were also made with patterns designed to complement the style of the wearer's jewelry.[2]

The industry of making Turkmen jewelry remains in place today.[2] Due to the cost of precious metals and gemstones, some Turkmen jewelry substitutes glass beads for gems.[1]

Gallery[]

  • Turkmen woman's jewel, metal and cornelian.

  • Turkmen woman's jewel, silver, gold and cornelian.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Art, Author: Department of Islamic. "Turkmen Jewelry | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art". The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Welcome". www.turkmens.com. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  3. ^ a b Makarechi, Kia (2012-01-05). "Layla Diba's New Book Uncovers A World Of Treasure In Turkmen Jewelry". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
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