Bird necklace

This necklace made of gold, pearls, gemstones and enamel, with a large bird-shaped pectoral in filigree work, is a masterpiece of Moroccan urban goldwork, smiths from rural Berber regions having worked in silver. 

In the Muslim world, jewellers were often Jewish. Indeed, the Muslims shunned this artistic domain for religious reasons, and people from non-Muslim communities became its specialist. Spanish Jews fleeing the Christian Reconquista of the country after 1492 settled in the Maghreb, bringing their work-techniques with them. Moroccan goldwork needs to be considered in the context of this Andalusian influence.

The tour-de-cou is made of a regular alternance of round fluted golden pearls, fine tumbling pearl-strands[1], and gold “bobbin” pearls with green, white and wine-coloured enamelling, and decorated with a central rosette with half-leaves in it[2]. This type of pearl probably had existed since ancient times ; they were widespread in Umeyyad Spain and were still in existence during the Nasrid period (1230-1492) on objects conceived for Christian clients[3]. Oblong pearls are found in Iran in the 11^th century[4].

There are at least two other similar necklaces with a bird-shaped pectoral[5]. This one is in the shaped of a two-headed eagle with spread wings and fanned tail, thus borrowing a motif, probably talismanic or totemic in its function, that originated in the ancient East, was used in the Roman and Byzantine civilisations, and was also the emblem of the Seljuks. It was widely disseminated throughout the Islamic world[6]. An Ayyubid vase kept in the Louvre museum[7] displays an example of this motif, elaborated in Jezireh.

The techniques employed in the creation of this jewel are various, and reflect the common culture of the Mediterranean Basin, as do the shapes and motifs.  Enamel-work, begun in the East from the 8^th – 7^th centuries BC, in Lorestan, probably continued into the Parthian and Sassanid periods. In the West, an enamelling-tradition already existed since the 5th century BC in Celtic Gaul and evidence of the technique has also been found from Roman Spain[8]. Byzantine enamel-work was also famous. With the Arab conquest, local tradition probably fused with the artistic legacy from the Orient, giving rise to the Caliphate of Cordoba’s splendid output of cloisonné enamel-decorated goldwork (756-1031)[9]. Muslim Spain would remain specialized in it until the end of the reconquest. Enamel was also used in Fatimid Egypt[10] and also in Artuqid Jezira[11]. It should be noted that in this necklace the enamel decoration is closer to the technique used for filigree enamels than to that used for cloisonné enamels. Indeed, as often on Maghrebi pieces, the gold thread is more prominent than the enamel decoration thinly layered behind it.

The combination of filigree and grenetis makes up the whole decoration of the pectoral and the two adjacent pearls. The bird is adorned with little circular or egg-shaped scrolls[12], each with its own large grenetis. These techniques are common in Andalusian goldwork[13] and in Fatimid Egypt. Their Oriental origin is confirmed by their use in Iran as early as the Sassanid era. They were also known in the West in Medieval times. Fine pearls and precious stones (bezel-set table-cut emeralds, cabochon rubies) are dotted throughout this filigree meshwork. The choice of stones and the colour scheme, characteristic of Moroccan jewellery, are reminiscent of the work not only of Turkish but also of Mughal goldsmiths.

[2] A necklace made in Meknes in the early 20th century, and kept in a private collection, portrays exactly the same pearl (qannuta).

[3] Gold necklace, with granulation and cloisonné enamel decoration, Spain, 15th century, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. 17.190.161.

[4] Gold necklace, 11th century, Courtesy of Schmuckmuseum, Seh 3477-48.

[5] One is preserved in Paris in the Quai Branly Museum (inv. 74.1969.6.1.1-2); the other was sold at auction in May 2007 by MarocAuction.

[6] In Seljuk Anatolia (1077-1307) this motif is found, for example, on a starred ceramic tile in the Karatay museum in Konya, inv.1143.The perimeter walls of Konya also display this motif, carved on a slab (1221-1222).

[7] Vase depicting two-headed eagle, Jezireh, late 12th – early 13thParis, Louvre Museum inv.8178. century.

[8] Circular bronze and polychrome champlevé enamel polychrome plaque Madrid, Lazaro Galdiano museum.

[9] Enamelled jewellery from Madinat al-Zahra, 10th century, Baltimore, Walters Art Gallery.

[10] Crescent-shaped necklace element, gold, granulated, gold-filigree and cloisonné enamel decoration, Egypt, 11th-12thMAO 139. century, Paris, Louvre museum, inv.

[11] Among the productions of this dynasty (1102-1408), set up in the region of Diyarbakir (Turkey), mention should be made of the famous copper basin decorated with polychrome enamels preserved in Innsbruck in the Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, 3rdth century, which shows technical and stylistic parallels with Western Mediaeval enamels. quarter of the 12

[12] The same scrolls are found in Nasrid goldwork of the 15th century: Gold necklace with filligree decoration, Spain, 15th century, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. 17.190.152.

[13] Trésor de Loja, Madrid, Instituto Valencia de Don Juan.