The old traditional jewelry has often been re-purposed or has had parts removed from it, or in other cases, the original order of the beads or pendants has been changed. This piece was originally a belt buckle.
Read the account of how it has been changed:
This Turkoman silver brooch was originally a belt buckle. It is made of a thick silver plaque with overall floral patterns. The raised center is inscribed with Arabic calligraphy. The inset jewels are red glass, highly prized in Turkoman jewelry. The crafter of this piece was inventive in that when this piece was no longer being used by a male to fasten his belt, the maker cut the silver belt loops from the back of the piece, filed and sanded the stumps smooth and attached a clasp to the back top of the piece. It makes a rustic but very charming and novel brooch for a casual jacket.
My husband picked up this piece on a trip to Moscow in 1999. The bazaars in Moscow have a lot of Turkoman pieces that come in from the tribes in the various countries around Russia that were once satellites of Soviet Russia. There are many: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrghizstan and Dagestan. Then there are the countries that were not part of USSR: Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The traditional cultures of these countries are influenced greatly by the Turkoman peoples who make up part of the population. Ethnic jewelry and textiles are derived from the traditional adornment of person and home by the Turkoman tribes.
Like all other pieces on this web site, this piece is returnable with full refund if not satisfied with your purchase.
Measurements: 3 inches (7.5 cm) x 2.4 inches (6.2 cm) 62 gm (2.2 ozs.)
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