natalie batshon catalogue entry
Gold is an object of desire, interest, and has a deeper meaning than the beautiful configurations seen by the naked eye. Even the idea of gold carries power and reputation reflecting its rarity and importance throughout the decades. Although gold can be fashioned into many different objects, jewelry is a prominent example because of its direct connections to human nature. Jewelry is used to define or express oneself and with the inclusion of gold that expression can be dramatically altered in various ways. Throughout the Fatimid era, gold jewelry was constructed in a meticulously and in beautiful manner which helped to establish the current identity that Fatimid gold jewelry has today.
Specifically, the gold bracelet with gems at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, reflects a unique style of Fatimid art. This bracelet is composed of gold, embellished with ruby and emerald gems, and has a diameter of 11.74 centimeters[i]. Due to the thickness of the circular band, it would be considered manfukh which means inflated in Arabic[ii]. An inflated appearing bracelet would be considered a sign of being owned by someone with a wealthy status. Many pieces like the golden hinged bracelet, the gold pair of earrings, and the gold pair of bracelets are all decorated with the traditional golden filament technique frequently used in Fatimid jewelry; however, the gold bracelet with gems does not include much rope and filament detailing which displays its uniqueness. It includes minimal rope detailing surrounding its exquisite gems. One of these exquisite gems, the emerald gem, is extremely unique for this bracelet because it is not often seen in jewelry from the 11th century[iii].
The gold bracelet with gems is explained to be created during the 11th century, which is the Fatimid era. This piece of jewelry in specific reflects the properties of Fatimid Jewelry because of its wide, thick bands and the use of gold as the creation material[i].Additionally, although it is not seen as extensively as it is in other pieces, the rope designs are also characteristic of this period. Lastly, the locations that these pieces of jewelry are associated with in connection to where the Fatimids origin can also be an indicator of the century they were created in. Through these characteristic features, one could come to a conclusion that this piece was created during the 11th century.
When questioning the whereabouts of this piece, one would be able to pinpoint its location of creation on Egypt or Syria. The Fatimid group marked their territory on both locations at different periods of time, so it might be difficult to determine its exact place of origin. In Fatimid history, they were known to be found within many places amongst Egypt and North Africa, however Egypt was a constant location for this dynasty [i]. This correlates to other parts of history because gold itself has many origins in Egypt. Ancient Egyptians coined gold as remnants from the sun and it became a symbol for their culture[ii]. The continuity of gold within this region shows its importance on different cultures and its relevance to this location.
Jewelry production during the Fatimid period is a specific and multistep process. The main technique that was demonstrated throughout Fatimid jewelry was the rope and grain filigree. This design usually consisted of twisted wires which appear to be the ropes and grains which are similar to small pellets of gold. There are a lot of structural components that file into the mechanics of shaping the ropes either for design purposes or for utilization of the framework. Overall, the process consists of shaping the primary rounded rope portions, then adding the straighter borders, then smaller rounded ropes were added, and lastly tie-bars are placed over to solidify the design[i]. This is a popular component of Fatimid jewelry yet is not a requirement. Some pieces contain more of this aspect than others and it is done in many different types of ways. This is seen through the many comparative objects and acts as a focal point for the viewer. In the gold bracelet with gems, the ropes design is featured around the central point and act as though they are outlining the gems. In contrast, jewelry examples like the pair of bracelets or the golden hinged bracelet showcase intricate examples and are mainly composed of this common technique. The golden hinged bracelet unveils floral rope and filament designs within the triangular portion of the hinge creating a perfect example of how this is typically displayed. In visiting the historical contributions of this technique, they are found to be primary Fatimid because of their birthplace which mainly seems to be Egypt and Syria-Palestine[ii]. However, this is not the only technique the Fatimids had utilized. Throughout many of the inflated bands of the bracelet, the audience can observe repoussé designs[iii]. This is seen particularly in the pair of bracelets where animals are displayed in a mesh like network or in the gold bracelet with gems where it is a little more difficult to pin-point what exactly the design is.
One would be able to identify that this gemmed bracelet would have a primary use of simply being worn. Nevertheless, this piece has more meaning behind it because of the reputation it can create. It was not only used as a supplemental piece of an outfit or costume but can provide a message to an audience surrounding a person, particularly a new reputation of a woman. For example, gold jewelry acts as a representation of economic status, or can even represent one’s relationship with their spouse or family members. This is because in many Islamic settings the man will gift his wife many pieces of gold as they are getting married[i]. The pieces that she wears can also be representative her inheritance from her family and jewelry that has been generationally passed on. Furthermore, when one has more pieces layered and of larger stature, it shows that she has a higher social status. The more jewelry one owns created from this less common material the more it will have an impact on the idea others formulate in their minds. On the other hand, gold provides women with autonomy. When women wore many pieces of gold jewelry, it allowed them to have some sort of fund or a different version of wealth[ii]. This was primarily because gold was something that for the most part the women owned fully on her own. Lastly, a less common use of gold jewelry was to be used as a good luck charm. For instance, it would be used as a safeguard for women as they were experiencing childbirth[iii]. Gold jewelry functioned and served a variety of purposing for the person wearing or owning them.
The gold bracelet with gems and all comparative objects relates to the group’s particular topic simply because they are simply all gold. All of these pieces, even though they are developed in different ways and have distinguishing characteristics, are crafted from the same material. Gold functions as the main source and is one of the connecting strings between each piece. Additionally, all of these pieces do relate to their original intended use. Although their main purpose now includes the reflection of their historical importance, these items would still serve the same function of being worn as accessories if they did not hold that historical background.
This gold bracelet relates to the concept of extravagance in a variety of ways. In the most obvious form, this bracelet because of its material represents extravagance. Gold is not something that anyone can afford, or that everyone has access too. It is so exclusive and rare which ultimately makes it more lavish. Even more so, the value and prestige of this bracelet raises because of the gemstones that are placed on its front. Gemstones, although varying on the type, add another level to a piece of jewelry’s extravagance because many are associated with high status or prestige. Specifically, emeralds are one of these gems reflecting this notion as they carry one of the highest status’s out of many gems. Emeralds were considered to be one of the most important gemstones in the Arab world[i]. They are also seen in the pendant and portray the same meaning. Additionally, this high power and status was observed with the ruby gem as well. This gem was mentioned within the Quran and was associated with many rulers which promoted its status[ii]. Finally, extravagance was also observed through the thick, puffed-up band which had a distinguished identity within Fatimid jewelry and is seen within the armlet and each bracelet.
Overall, gold jewelry plays an important role within the middle eastern culture and has a lasting impact on the way that society views gold today. Gold was viewed and continues to be viewed as an extravagant object to own and a desired luxury amongst all. The Fatimids made their mark with gold through their different techniques and attention to detail throughout their jewelry curations. Although it is so far in the past, ‑‑Islamic 11th century jewelry presented an exquisite collection of gold that the people can continue to admire and take in today.
[1] “Bracelet | LACMA Collections.” n.d. Collections.lacma.org. Accessed April 24, 2023. https://collections.lacma.org/node/183733.
[1] LACMA Collections, “Bracelet”
[1] Spink, 35
[1] Michael Spink, The Art of Adornment: Jewellery of the Islamic Lands (London: The Nour Foundation, 2013),158
[1] Jonathan Bloom, Arts of the City Victorious: Islamic Art and Architecture in Fatimid North Africa and Egypt (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007),1-3
[1] Thomas Hoving, Gold (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 31, 1972) 5, https://doi.org/10.2307/3258582.
[1] Spink,127
[1] Spink,132
[1] Spink,158
[1] Annelies Moors. “Wearing Gold, Owning Gold: The Multiple Meanings of Gold Jewelry.” Etnofoor 25, no. 1 (2013): 80-81.
[1] Anne Jennings. “Women’s Gold Jewelry in Egyptian Nubia.” African Arts 22, no. 1 (1988): 70-71. https://doi.org/10.2307/3336692.
[1] Jennings, 71
[1] Zohar Amar, “Most-Cherished Gemstones in the Medieval Arab World.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 27, no. 3 (2017): 378. doi:10.1017/S1356186316000614.
[1] Amar,382
Works Cited
Amar, Zohar, and Efraim Lev. “Most-Cherished Gemstones in the Medieval Arab World.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 27, no. 3 (2017): 377–401. doi:10.1017/S1356186316000614.
Bloom, Jonathan. Arts of the City Victorious: Islamic Art and Architecture in Fatimid North Africa and Egypt. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007.
Hoving, Thomas, and Carmen Gómez-Moreno. “Gold.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 31, no. 2 (1972): 72–120. https://doi.org/10.2307/3258582.
Jennings, Anne M. “Women’s Gold Jewelry in Egyptian Nubia.” African Arts 22, no. 1 (1988): 68–100. https://doi.org/10.2307/3336692.
Moors, Annelies. “Wearing Gold, Owning Gold: The Multiple Meanings of Gold Jewelry.” Etnofoor 25, no. 1 (2013): 78–89. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43264010.
Spink, Michael et al. The Art of Adornment: Jewellery of the Islamic Lands. London: The Nour Foundation, 2013.