{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O79808"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O79808/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LY3585/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LY3585/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019LY3585","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O79808/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O79808","accessionNumber":"341-1904","objectType":"Fibula","titles":[{"title":"","type":""}],"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 all the decoration lavished on the head of the pin, but true ring brooches, like this example, survived in a few places, mainly in Algeria, up to the end of the 19th century.  \r\n\r\nCircular ring brooches were used singly, in the centre of the forehead or on the chest, unlike the penannular brooches, which were always worn in pairs to hold the dress together.  The word <i>medouar</i> means ‘round’ in Arabic.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Silver ring brooch made from a disc of sheet silver with a hole in the centre.  The front is decorated with a chased floral design in four sections.  There is a small hole at one side of the central space, which holds a loose tang, and another on the edge of the disc for a pendant which is now missing.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"incising","id":"AAT53847"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Incised silver","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2019LY3585"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES375479"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Brooch","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Algeria","id":"x30025"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1850-1899","earliest":"1850-01-01","latest":"1899-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Edmond Dresden","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"7.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Accessions register entry: 'Buckle of silver, chased and repousse. / A slightly convex disk with central hole crossed by the pin. The ornament consists of an outer and an inner rayed border united by four pointed ovals with similar borders; in each interspace is a flower with repousse boss in its centre. / North African (?) / Diam. 2 13/16 in.'","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silver ring brooch (Medouar) with floral decoration and a loose tang, Algeria, 1850-1899.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"For examples, see Eudel, Paul, 'Dictionnaire des bijoux de l'Afrique du Nord: Maroc, Algérie, Tunisie, Tripolitaine', Paris, 1906, p.133."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"floral","id":"AAT10135"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["341-1904"],"accessionNumberNum":"341","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1904,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"2003-04-09","availableToBook":true}}