Pair of "teklila" headdress ornaments, ornamental amulets to be suspended on either side of the head, over the temples. Gabès, Tunisia, [first half of 20th century].
Silver (gilt), soldered, cast, and engraved; silver thread and granulation; glass.
Unusually long head ornaments. Each ornament consists of an elliptical hoop onto which a half-moon-shaped plate has been soldered. Each scalloped plate is decorated with geometric patterns in silver thread and granulation and bears a red glass stone. Suspended from the bottom edges of each plate are five chains made of small flat round links (in the "Rihanna" style). At the ends of the chains are small pierced pendants; two of these are round, with crescent symbols, two are hamsa-shaped, and one bears the star-and-crescent symbol. The hoop itself is suspended from above by a thicker chain with a hook at the end which enables attachment to the head covering.
38X8 cm.
References: Le bijou traditionnel en Tunisie, p. 20; The Stieglitz Collection: Masterpieces of Jewish Art, item no. 276.