The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 7, 2026

A necklace of gilt silver and tree resin hangs from a knotted brown twisted cord. Two amber-hued, oval resin beads sit above tapering cones detailed with a delicate lattice pattern. Below, eleven rounded beads form a curve, alternating between smooth surfaces and etched floral and geometric motifs. The sequence culminates in a central bead featuring a raised crisscross texture, balancing the smooth and decorated metallic spheres.

Necklace (muriya or murriyya)

late 1800s or early 1900s

Africa, East Africa, probably Harar, Ethiopia, unknown silversmith

gilt silver, tree resin (possibly copal)
Gift of Raymond A. Silverman 2025.155
Location: 108C African Jewelry and Metalwork

Did You Know?

Besides archaeological examples, the oldest known Ethiopian jewelry dates from the 1840s; damaged items were typically melted down to make new pieces or to use during times of hardship.

Description

This necklace is from is from the Ethiopian city of Harar, where it was worn only by Muslim women. It was part of the bridal trousseau. The spherical silver beads of this muriya necklace resemble Muslim prayer necklaces. Its warm yellow Baltic amber or Zanzibari copal simultaneously conveyed the wearer’s married status and her access to imported goods. Ornate filigree jewelry was historically made in Ethiopia for royals and nobility by specialized silversmiths trained through long apprenticeships. Customers were generally female, while silversmiths are always male.
  • –c. 2000
    Unknown Ethiopian Vendor/Shop
    c. 2000–2025
    Dr. Raymond Silverman
    2025
    The Cleveland Museum of Art
  • “Museum News.” Tribal Art 30, i. 2 (Spring 2026): 28-41. Reproduced: p. 39
  • 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 (muriya or murriyya)|url=false|author=|year=late 1800s or early 1900s|access-date=07 June 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.155