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RAINBOW COLOURED
BEAD JEWELLERY
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A beaded brast ornametn worn
by a woman |
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In
Turkey young. girls and
women have always expressed their hopes and dreams in
hand crafts, using traditional motifs and forms to
create functional and decot"ative objects that are each
unique. Rural women never use makeup, but adom
themselves with colourful bead jewellery. Living in
close con" tact with nature, they are inspired by the
enchanting colours and shapes of birds, ftowers,
butterfties when .making jewellery for themselves.
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A watch pouch made
by a woman for her son-in-law |
In
some parts of Turkey the adornment of young girls
consists entit"ely of beadwork and needle lace, and when
they marry their bridal dress is enhanced with bead
jewellery. To celebrate the engagement their
husbands-to-be present them with strings of many
coloured beads, and over joyed by the gift the girl
invites relatives and neighbours to come and see her
treasures, which to her are beautiful as precious gems.
Passing the beads around from hand to hand, her visitors
excitedly discuss ideas for the jewellery to be made
from them. Then the beads are divided out according to
the designs decided upon, and everyone helps to thread
them, singing folk songs as they work on necklaces known
as gıdıklık,breast ornaments known as döşlük, bracelest,
belts, hair fastenings, ornaments for the forehead and
cheeks, and beaded lace.
Bead
ornaments require skill and time to make, but are
inexpensive, and have therefore always been a popular
fonm of personal ornament for Anatolian women. The use
of beads is very ancient, going back to prehistoric
times when beads were hung around the neck. around the
hips, from the ears, attached to the nose, and even to
the eyelashes. It is thought that the first beads used
to make jewellery in the Palaeolithic age consisted of
seeds, shells, small fossils and even mammoth teeth in
which holes were pierced. The earliest Egyptian beads
dating from the 4th millennium BC were mainly made from
soapstone and covered with glaze fired to a glass-like
substance. Gold beads were used in the 3rd millennium
BC by the Sumerians and the civilisations of the Indus
Valley. Precious stones like green feldspar, lapis
lazuli, turquoise, carnelian, hematite and purple ruby
were also used to make beads. Beads served as a vehicle
of barter, and were greatly valued by primitive
societies. |
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Glass
beads made in Venice taken to America by the Spanish
conquestadores were still used by tribes in Brazil until
recent years. The native peoples of North and South
America and Africa make a huge diversity of bead
jewellery. In short, for peoples all over the world
glass beads of many colours and shapes have been a
valued form of adornment. Glass beads al'e faithful
friends, being extremely durable, and retaining their
shine and colour indefinitely. They are not affected by
wear and tear, only shatterIng under a direct blow, nor
are they harmed by water. They can be buried for
thousands of years and emerge as bright as when they
were first made. Bead jewellery can be made by the
wearer, without need of a professional jeweller or an
elegant shop window. |
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In
Turkish villages bead ornaments are used by people of
all ages, from birth to death, since they often serve
not only as omaments but to avert the evil eye and
protect from illness. As charms not just used by people,
but hung on animals, trees, houses and important
possessions. Blue bead charms can be seen hung around
the necks of goats, cows, oxen and other lifestock, and
attached to the manes and tails of horses.
Traditional motifs of bead jewellery are often
associated with beliefs and superstitions, speaking a
visual language whose ol'igins are lost in the mists of
time. That is why you find the same motifs incorporated
into the patterns of knitted socks, kilims, carpets,
fabrics, lace, embroidery, wood and stone carving, and
decorations on the walls of cottages. |
A triangular breast
ornament
symbolising fertility |
They
are part of a culture and belief system that encompasses
every sphere of life and is refieded in hand crafts.
Women make an important contribution to such crafts,
which are an expression of their creativity and inner
world of emotion.
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Antique bridal
belt with a white snake motif to give protection
from misfortune |
In
the cities, too, women enjoy wearing modem bead
jewellery. In the fashion centres of the world beads
can be found in the form of jewellery, or
embroidered on clothing, bags, belts and shoes. In
short, everyone loves beads, whose diversity and
versatility suit them to a never-ending range of
designs and styles. |
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Beads in the myriad colours of the rainbow stimulate
the imagination to conjure up a kaleidoscope of
patterns have fascinated and delighted people
everywhere for thousands of years and will continue
to do so for generations to come.
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Beaded and
tasseled hair ornament |
In this belt tie
worn by a
married woman, red symbolises
the woman and green the man |
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Source: Skylife 08/03 |
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Sabiha Tansuğ&Servet Dilber |
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