Old Moorish Anklet – KHAL KHAL – West Africa

Mid-20th century. Engraved aluminum.

Dimensions: 10.7 cm wide × 9.5 cm high (4.21″ × 3.74″).
Central talisman: 6.7 cm wide × 6.2 cm high (2.64″ × 2.44″).
Weight: 191.5 g (6.41 oz).

These anklets were worn by Moorish women during the Guedra, a ritual dance of love performed for the benefit of men. The Guedra is a ballet of hands and feet: the dancer sometimes stands, though she more often remains in a squatting position, covered by a black veil that reveals only the intricate movements of her hennaed hands and feet. The henna patterns not only accentuate these gestures but also serve an apotropaic—protective—function.

For similar examples and further reading:

• Splendeurs du Maroc, Africa Museum, Tervuren (pp. 334–335)
• Africa Adorned, Angela Fisher (p. 220)
• Ornamenti del corpo – Gioielli di una Collezione, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence (p. 47)
• A World of Bracelets, Anne van Cutsem, Skira (p. 35)

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