Audio by Laura Green
Maker(s): Unknown
Culture: Kabylie
Title: Brooch; bracelet
Date Made: Early 20th century
Type: Personal object
Materials: Silver, coral, enamel
Place Made: Algeria
Measurements: 2.5 x 3 x 3in.; 5 x 3 x 1in.
Transcript:
I really like looking at these two pieces, the brooch and the bracelet, because there aren’t a lot of personal objects in the museum, especially on the third floor. So I really like looking at this jewelry because I’ve always loved dressing up and putting on bracelets and necklaces and all those things. Especially during special occasions, I would dress a little bit maybe too over the top because I loved it so much. When I look at these pieces, I can imagine wearing them for a special occasion, and having the bracelet be cold on my hand and have this weight to it, being able to feel the coral and the enamel, the texture of it. With the brooch, these Kabylie women wear it either on their forehead or on their chest, also feeling that weight and maybe clinking around a little bit, maybe announcing your presence with it. I think that that’s so powerful to be able to do that and you’d carry yourself differently when you’re wearing such beautiful pieces like this. And so I like being able to imagine what somebody else experienced while wearing these, and getting that connection with someone else.