Antique Pair Berber Fibulae – TIZERZAI - Mogador (Essaouira), Morocco

Description

Antique Pair Berber Fibulae – TIZERZAI - Mogador (Essaouira), Morocco
End 19th century; early 20th century. Sterling s
ilver gr. 121,2 (4.28
oz
).
Each
fibula
measures
cm. 15,0
high x cm. 10,4 (5.91" x 4.09
”
) width.
Essential feminine embellishment,
the
tizerzai
are
taken
in pairs
to
close
the
coat.
Their
weight, size
and
the fineness of the workmanship indicate
the
social status
of the woman
who
wears
them.
For more information and similar examples: "Tiserai - The Fibule Au Maroc", by Ileana Marchesani, Franco D'Alessandro and Meriem Otmani - Edition Sicopa.
Berbers
are the indigenous ethnic group of North Africa. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River.
The name
Berber
appeared for the first time after the end of the Roman Empire.
Many Berbers call themselves some variant of the word
imazighen
(singular:
Amazigh
), possibly meaning "free people" or "free and noble men”. Today, most Berber-speaking people live in Morocco and Algeria.
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