Turkmen jewelry is highly sought after by both museums and individuals. The Turkmen are nomadic herdsmen by origin. They live in the area surrounding the Karakum desert in the Republic of Turkmenistan. The Tekkie, Ersari, Yomud and Sarik are sub-groups of the Turkmen. The grooms family would receive the bride bejewelled from head to toe as an important part of the dowry exchange. The jewelry would have been worn on an important occasion such as their wedding day. It was a way to show off their wealth and status. Multiple artisans would work on a given piece of jewelry depending on their specialty such as chasing, engraving, gilding, etc. For the nomadic people, jewelry was easily transportable and could be exchanged for goods or melted down for its metal value. In addition, many pieces of jewelry had a protective function as an amulet or a talisman. Of all the jewelry, the Tekke is best known. It is characterized by symmetry, filigree, and gold gilding over silver and use of carnelian stones.
Can be made into 2 separate pendant necklaces.
Dimensions: 7 1/2" height x 5" width - This pair can be hooked or unhooked together.
