Berber Necklace – Talisman Boxes – Bani Region, MoroccoBerber Necklace – Talisman Boxes – Bani Region, Morocco

Mid 20th century. Old talisman boxes (engraved silver sheet on brass) and silver beads. Each talisman is approx. cm. 3,0 x cm. 2,8 (1.81″ x 1.10″). The necklace is cm. 45,5 in lengh (17.91″); gr. 137,90 (4.86 oz.). These items often contain prayers and magical formulas.   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.