Pair Berber Fibulae – TIZERZAI – Ida Ou Semlal – Southern MoroccoPair Berber Fibulae – TIZERZAI – Ida Ou Semlal – Southern Morocco

Early 20th century. Ida Ou Semlal people. Silver on brass. Each fibula is approx. cm. 11,4 high (4.48”) x cm. 4,5 width (1.77”). Gr. 72,0 (2.53 oz.). Essential feminine embellishment, the tizerzai are taken in pairs to close the coat. Their weight, size and the fineness of the workmanship indicate the social status of the woman who wears them. For more information and similar examples: “Tiserai – The Fibule Au Maroc”, by Ileana Marchesani, Franco D’Alessandro and Meriem Otmani – Edition Sicopa. 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. Sold