Collection: ACROSS NORTHERN SYRIA: antique art, artifacts & embroidery

10-19 September 2022

 

The Silver jewelry pieces on show date back around hundreds of years and are notable examples of a long-standing Jewelry tradition from the home of Syrian silversmithing in Northern Syria.

The influences they represent are there to be read, the influence Northern Syria has had on jewelry in the region is tremendous. Armenians and Kurds were known for their skills.

In short, the evident familial stylistic cues of Damascus, Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor make this silver very special.

The Kirdan chokers worn by women on wedding day and occasions are classically in the Northern Syrian chain work style with their myriad petals of worked silver, chains and beads radiating from a choker.

This exhibition is slightly mournful as the artisans and their jewelry souks became lost to war and other tragedies. Millennia of Jewelry-craft marking a proud civilization are now all but gone. The destruction of Syria’s museums as repositories of these cultural artifacts means that significant knowledge that these jewels represent, is all but gone.

Destructive looting of Syrian museums has fragmented the historical narrative.

Happily, there are efforts to re-establish broken collections wherever possible. The precious antique pieces on show here must be enjoyed and celebrated and, every effort must be made to research and preserve their place in Syrian cultural heritage.