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The vast continent of Africa has produced jewelry of great
beauty and variety since prehistoric times. In addition to
the work of the ancient Egyptians, northern Africa is noted
for the silverwork, plain and enameled, of the Tuareg and
other desert people.
South of the Sahara, craftspeople in the great medieval
kingdoms of Africa made rings, earrings, bracelets, and
other ornaments out of gold (Ghana), amber (Shonghai), ivory
and brass (Benin), and bronze (Yoruba).
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Beads of shell and of glass have long been important
elements of personal adornment all over Africa. Jewelry has also been used
as a vehicle for religious symbols, as in the crosses of Ethiopia and the
mullets of north west Africa, and to indicate social or economic status.
Today’s African jewelry echoes
many traditional themes, often with modern materials. |
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