Berber Bracelet – Ida Ou Zeddoute – Central Anti Atlas, South Morocco

19th century. Silver, enamel, niello decorations. Gr. 67,0 (2.36 oz). Cm. 7,0 high (2.75″); width at opening cm. 5,8 (2.28″).

For similar examples and more informations see:

• page 93 of “Bijoux du Maroc”, by Jacques and Marie-Rose Rabaté;
• page 20 of “A World of Bracelet”, by Anne van Cutsem;

Berbers are the indigenous ethnic group of North Africa. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River.The name Berber appeared for the first time after the end of the Roman Empire. Many Berbers call themselves some variant of the word imazighen (singular: Amazigh), possibly meaning “free people” or “free and noble men”. Today, most Berber-speaking people live in Morocco and Algeria.