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Headband

A work made of silver, enamel, niello, glass, leather, and fabric.

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  • A work made of silver, enamel, niello, glass, leather, and fabric.

Date:

Late 19th or early 20th century

Artist:

Ida Ou Nadif
Souss-Massa region, Morocco
Northern Africa and the Sahel

About this artwork

The Ida Ou Nadif and other Imazighen peoples have developed highly distinctive jewelry styles. These bracelets, earrings, and headband are embellished with patterns in a black metal alloy mixture called niello. The box was designed to hold a copy of the Qu’ran and hang from a chain around a devotee’s neck. Across northern Africa exquisite silver jewelry defines a woman’s wealth and comprises an important part of the wedding gift that a man gives to his fiancée.

Status

On View, Gallery 137

Department

Arts of Africa

Artist

Ida Ou Nadif

Title

Headband

Place

Morocco (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1900–1950

Medium

Silver, enamel, niello, glass, leather, and fabric

Dimensions

11.4 × 39.4 cm (4 1/2 × 15 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Edward E. Ayer Endowment in memory of Charles L. Hutchinson

Reference Number

2002.272.1

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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