{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O133494"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O133494/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BN4201/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BN4201/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BN4201","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BT3379","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BN4203","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O133494/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O133494","accessionNumber":"671-1893","objectType":"Fibula","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This silver fibula would have been worn by a woman in the Aurès region of Algeria in the nineteenth century.  Silver was a very popular material for jewellery as it was seen as a symbol of purity and honesty and Berber communities preferred it to gold which they regarded as a sign of vice. Here, the silver is engraved and pierced and outlined with scrolls. The small hole at the top would have held a chain linking this pin to its pair.  They were worn on the front of the body, just below the shoulders, to hold the wearer’s dress together.\r\n\r\nThis brooch was probably made by a Jewish silversmith. In the late fifteenth century many Jewish people immigrated to North Africa to escape persecution in Europe. The Jewish population dominated the silversmith profession until well into the twentieth century as Berbers regarded working with metal as a low status profession.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Silver fibula pin with penannular guard ring.  The pin has a pierced oval head with protrusions at the sides and a hole in the tab at the top.  The guard ring is made from plain wire flattened at each end to form the terminals. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"engraving (incising)","id":"AAT53829"},{"text":"piercing","id":"AAT231153"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silver, pierced and engraved","categories":[{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"},{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2007BN4201","2008BT3379","2007BN4203"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"CB006","id":"THES369161"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Brooch","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Algeria","id":"x30025"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Aurès","id":"x41488"},"association":{"text":"worn","id":"x34724"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1850-1890","earliest":"1850-01-01","latest":"1890-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"4.5","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"maximum","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"2.75","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"maximum","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silver fibula (Akhlâlet or Abzimt) with oval pierced head, Aurès (Algeria), 1850-1890.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"scroll-work","id":"AAT10205"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["671-1893"],"accessionNumberNum":"671","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1893,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-06-17","recordCreationDate":"2007-03-28","availableToBook":true}}