Old Pair Berber Fibulae – TIZERZAI – Rif Mountains, North Morocco

Early 20th century. Silver high degree grams 361,6 (12.76 oz). The piece is cm. 63,5 long (25.00″). Each fibula is cm 16,0 high (6.30″). The silver chain is made up of 12 old silver coins:

• 2 silver coins Moulay Youssef I 5 Dirham 1913 (1331 Ah);
• 1 silver coin Youssef Ben Hassan 5 Dirham 1918 (1336 Ah);
• 9 silver coins 1/2 Dirham Abdul Aziz I 1902/1903 (1320-1321 Ah)

Essential feminine embellishment, the tizerzai are taken in pairs to close the coat.

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.

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