{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O79566"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O79566/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BT3407/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BT3407/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BT3407","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O79566/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O79566","accessionNumber":"331&A-1904","objectType":"Pair of fibulae","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The traditional jewellery of the Berber tribes of North Africa is almost always made of silver in heavy, clearly-defined shapes.  Although individual pieces rarely date back any earlier than the 19th century, the designs are very old, and European observers liked to find traces of Roman or Phoenician influence.\r\n\r\nThe use of ring brooches to fasten women’s traditional clothing is universal across the region and dates back to late Roman times.  Most of these brooches are penannular in shape, with large decorative heads, but these are of a very basic design which could have been made at any time in the last 2,000 years.  They were worn in pairs, just below the shoulders, to hold the dress together, and were worn upside down, with the pin pointing upwards.  They were often linked together by a chain.\r\n\r\nThis design was most common in rural areas in the west of Tunisia, but they are also found across the border in Algeria.  The marks on these show that they were made in Tunisia.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Pair of penannular ring brooches with long pins.  Each consists of a hoop of thick silver wire with each end thickened into a solid rectangle.  The hoop is decorated all over with short sections of diagonal lines.  The pin is a length of thick wire pointed at one end and flattened at the other to form a loop before being wrapped round the end of the pin to secure it.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Cast silver","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2008BT3407"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES375444"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES375444"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Pin","id":""}],[{"text":"Pin","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Tunisia","id":"x30014"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1856-1900","earliest":"1856-01-01","latest":"1900-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Edmond Dresden","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"14.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"331A-1904 width 6.7 cm (maximum) Length 13 cm","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Partial marks of Arabic characters in an hexagonal frame.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Sekka standard mark.","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On the pin, and on the sides of the terminals."},{"content":"Partial marks of Arabic characters in an hexagonal frame.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Probably the Sahha mark.","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On the sides of the terminals."}],"objectHistory":"Accessions register entry: 'Pair of Brooches of silver, lightly chased. Each is stamped with Arabic marks. / Each consists of a penannular wire with squared ends (monsters' heads), on which is hung the pin roughly beaten out with a flattened loop at its base. / North African. / Each, diam. 2 3/4 in., pin, L. 5 1/2 in. (in 331a, 5 1/8 in.).'","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Pair of silver fibulae with plain penannular rings and long pins, Tunisia, 1856-1900.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["331A-1904","331-1904"],"accessionNumberNum":"331","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1904,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Pin [1]","Pin [2]"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"2003-04-04","availableToBook":true}}