Mid 20th Century Large African Beaded Garland

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Morocco is well known for its artisans and silversmiths and has a long history of bead and jewelry making. In … Read more Morocco is well known for its artisans and silversmiths and has a long history of bead and jewelry making. In 2021, archaeologists uncovered what is believed to be the oldest jewelry in the world in southern Morocco dating to nearly 150,000 years ago.

The jewelry of the Berber People of the Maghreb region (Northwestern Africa) - whether new or antique - often includes traditional intricate designs, distinct regional variations, and draws on history and symbolism.

Moroccan jewelry is notable as the majority of the artists are women, who proudly wear their jewelry, adorn their children in jewelry, and pass that jewelry from generation to generation, maintaining their ethinic identities and cultural traditions. Because of this, women play a critical role in perpetuating and preserving Berber culture and identity through their art.

Jewelry also serves as a symbol of family wealth and is given to young girls by their mothers through childhood to marriage. During the marriage ceremony, the bride receives elaborate silver and other jewelry from the groom’s family as a dowry and to ensure that she has her own wealth in the event of an emergency or of becoming a widow. Because of this, you will often see official coins used as adornments to jewelry so that if necessary, they could be broken off and sold or used. Jewelry is also easy to take during annual migrations, so family wealth can move along with the family.

This jewelry is a social symbol that identifies the Berbers and is considered a representation of their tribe or group, a sign of wealth, reflects cultural transitions, and has power beyond aesthetics. The shape and designs in the jewelry draw from Berber symbology and Islamic tradition carrying spiritual meanings - protectors to ensure fertility, defend from evil eyes, bring prosperity, and cure different illnesses or diseases.

It is easy to understand how Moroccan jewelry is so much more than the aesthetic value we see today. These pieces were symbols of wealth and prosperity, protection to ward off evil, and served as markers of cultural identity and expression. See less