Armband with Bells, Rings, and Thimbles, One of a Pair

Two Pairs of Armbands with Rings

Armbands with attached rings or thimbles were produced across Asia from the Caucasus to India, although the form appears to have originated in India.[10] Such armbands are the only silver Turkmen ornaments that refer directly to women’s work, perhaps a reason for their ubiquity. Most often they incorporate thimbles, which make reference to the embroidery for which Turkmen women, in particular, were renowned. Worn over the back of the hand, they consist of a single band, a connecting plaque, and chains to which rings (and thimbles, if present) are attached. The plaque was made in a variety of shapes, including ovoid, polygonal, and floral; the latter shape appears to be related to the term handrose used to describe this type.

The two pairs in the collection (nos. 2013.968.13a, .13b, and 2022.465.13a, .b) are new to the literature and present exciting evidence of the evolution of this type in Kazakh and Central Asian jewelry. They are especially graceful, almost dainty, when compared with Turkmen works. In contrast to most Turkmen pieces, which are impressive for their splendor and massive scale, these armbands appear designed to draw attention to and beautify the hands, not unlike the tradition of tattooing.

Layla S. Diba in [Diba 2011]

Footnotes:

10. Rudolph, Hermann. Der Turkmenenschmuck: Sammlung Kurt Gull. Exh. cat., Museum Rietberg Zürich; Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin. Stuttgart, 1984, p. 250, notes that their construction is related to the Rajastani wedding armband known as a hathpul.

Marking: Sticker on back: (illegible) / 476

Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf, New York, NY (by 2006–22; gifted to MMA)

Diba, Layla S. "Silver Ornaments from the Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf Collection." In Turkmen Jewelry. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011. no. 158, pp.198–99, ill.