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Moroccan, Fez

Lebba (Necklace), late 1800s-early 1900s

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Moroccan

Title

Lebba (Necklace)

Year

late 1800s-early 1900s

Medium

Silver, glass and silk

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • silver,
  • glass,
  • silk

Dimensions

40 x 20 x 1 cm (15 3/4 x 7 7/8 x 3/8 inches)

Place

Fez

Type

  • Jewelry

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

31.367

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

It Comes in Many Forms

October 23, 2020 - December 18, 2021

This lebba, or necklace, was crafted in Morocco by an Indigenous Amazigh maker. Lebba like this one were symbols of high status in North Africa, worn by Jewish and Muslim Amazigh brides and upper-class women in celebrations. Here nine hanging pendants are set with red, blue, and green glass beads. The horned triangular shape topping each pendant resembles an abstracted khamsa, a protective hand motif, and is followed by rosettes and crescent shapes encapsulating droplets. Across many cultures, these symbols are used to ward off evil. The flowers and seedlings inlaid in sparkling beads symbolize fertility and growth.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Lebba (Necklace) with the accession number of 31.367. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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