The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 4, 2026

A silver alloy necklace features a black cord strung with eleven textured pendants and cylindrical beads. At the center sits a rectangular charm, flanked by symmetrical pairs of semicircular, rectangular, triangular, and circular ornaments. Each pendant is adorned with raised geometric patterns and tiny metal spheres. These matte silver pieces, separated by ribbed spacers, create a rhythmic display of geometric forms against the dark, knotted cord looped at the top.

Necklace (ashän ketab) with amulet pendants (tälsäm)

late 1800s or early 1900s

Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia, unknown silversmith

silver alloy
Gift of Raymond A. Silverman 2025.152
Location: 108C African Jewelry and Metalwork

Did You Know?

Ethiopian silver jewelry is made by melting high-purity Maria Theresa thaler coins made from the 1700s to the 1900s.

Description

Ornate filigree jewelry was historically made in Ethiopia for royals and nobility by specialized silversmiths trained through long apprenticeships. This silver necklace is composed of numerous box-shaped amulet pendants (tälsäm) meant to ward off the evil eye or other dangers. Linked to Islamic amuletic practices, the boxes are effective whether empty or whether they contain magical or prayerful texts. Their fine filigree and granulation work is characteristic of Harar as well as the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian city of Aksum.
  • –c. 2000
    Unknown Ethiopian Vendor/Shop
    c. 2000–2025
    Dr. Raymond Silverman
    2025
    The Cleveland Museum of Art
  • Silver, Gold, and Gems: A Spotlight on Jewelry Across Africa. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 7, 2025-December 6, 2026).
  • {{cite web|title=Necklace (ashän ketab) with amulet pendants (tälsäm)|url=false|author=|year=late 1800s or early 1900s|access-date=04 June 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.152