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Source Description
This necklace is from is from the Ethiopian city of Harar, where it was worn only by Muslim women. It was part of the bridal trousseau. The spherical silver beads of this <em>muriya</em> necklace resemble Muslim prayer necklaces. Its warm yellow Baltic amber or Zanzibari copal simultaneously conveyed the wearer’s married status and her access to imported goods. Ornate filigree jewelry was historically made in Ethiopia for royals and nobility by specialized silversmiths trained through long apprenticeships. Customers were generally female, while silversmiths are always male.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
692273
label
Necklace (muriya or murriyya)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
692273
contentType
object
title
Necklace (muriya or murriyya)
description
This necklace is from is from the Ethiopian city of Harar, where it was worn only by Muslim women. It was part of the bridal trousseau. The spherical silver beads of this <em>muriya</em> necklace resemble Muslim prayer necklaces. Its warm yellow Baltic amber or Zanzibari copal simultaneously conveyed the wearer’s married status and her access to imported goods. Ornate filigree jewelry was historically made in Ethiopia for royals and nobility by specialized silversmiths trained through long apprenticeships. Customers were generally female, while silversmiths are always male.
date
late 1800s or early 1900s
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Jewelry
imageCount
1
source
import
cul
Africa, East Africa, probably Harar, Ethiopia, unknown silversmith
accession
2025.155
Source extras
tec
gilt silver, tree resin (possibly copal)
tombstone
Necklace (muriya or murriyya), late 1800s or early 1900s. Africa, East Africa, probably Harar, Ethiopia, unknown silversmith. Gilt silver, tree resin (possibly copal). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Raymond A. Silverman, 2025.155
collection
African Art
didYouKnow
Besides archaeological examples, the oldest known Ethiopian jewelry dates from the 1840s; damaged items were typically melted down to make new pieces or to use during times of hardship.
citations
citation
“Museum News.” <em>Tribal Art 30</em>, i. 2 (Spring 2026): 28-41.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 39
creditline
Gift of Raymond A. Silverman
updatedAt
2026-05-29 09:18:19.409000
sourceId
692273
dept
African Art
coll
African Art
med
gilt silver, tree resin (possibly copal)
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
7f754decbf0a8a9f