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Collections

Bracelet11th century

On view:
Geffen Galleries, Islamic Art and Late Antiquity
Gold bracelet with repoussé and filigree decoration, set with turquoise and purple cabochon stones at an ornate central clasp, photographed from slightly above
Gold bangle bracelet with heavily repoussé-worked surface, featuring a central clasp decorated with cabochon rubies and turquoise stones set in filigree mounts, with granulated and relief-patterned band.
Title
Bracelet
Place Made
Egypt or Syria
Date Made
11th century
Period
Fatimid (909-1171)
Medium
Gold, set with rubies and emeralds
Dimensions
Diameter: 4 5/8 in. (11.74 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Art Museum Council
Accession Number
AC1997.58.1
Classification
Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area
Art of the Middle East: Islamic
Curatorial Notes

Jewelry played an important role in the lives of women living in Fatimid-controlled Egypt and Syria, and it is clear from surviving trousseau lists that it was the most valuable component of a bride’s dowry, providing a source of financial security in the event of divorce or her husband’s death. Jewelry such as this spectacular gold repoussé bracelet, which was likely once part of a matched pair, may have been owned for this purpose. Such tubular or hollow bracelets possibly fit the description manfukh (Arabic for "inflated" or "puffed up"), often found in contemporaneous trousseau lists and associated with the wealthiest of brides.

Selected Bibliography

  • Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles. Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015.

  • Komaroff, Linda. Beauty and Identity: Islamic Art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2016.
  • Komaroff, Linda. Collecting Islamic Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art: A Curatorial Perspective. Los Angeles: Art Catalogues; LACMA, 2017.