The Cultural History of Bracelets

Some Historical Information About Bracelets Bracelets are an important document about people who do not have a written history. They are also a sign of the sacred, both tangible and transcendent. The meaning of the jewellery is translated into its general form, its material and its decoration. A circle is a perfect shape since it has neither a beginning nor an end. It defies time. A ring is an apt symbol of marriage, because it is a contour that surrounds, thus signifying guaranteed protection within its boundaries. Not only an ornament, the unifying circle maintains the cohesion between body and soul, which is the reason that ancient warriors wore such a large number of bracelets. This same symbolic meaning explains why, in certain cultures, bracelets are removed from the dead so that their souls are allowed to escape. Whether decorated with henna, tattoos or scars, limbs have always been parts of the body to be ornamented permanently or ephemerally. An ancient statuette of a woman, unearthed during the excavations at Mohendjo Daro in Pakistan, and photographs of Karen or Masai women also show that from the very beginning of human history, arms and legs have been adorned with masses of bracelets. Cave paintings from the Tassili in Algeria and prehistoric tombs in Thailand illustrate the ancient desire of human beings to protect the most exposed parts of their bodies and their joints. Worn on the wrist, the forearm, above the elbow or on the upper arm, and around the instep of the foot, the ankle, the calf or the thigh, this ornament takes on multiple forms: a plain and sometimes rigid ring that can be open, closed or hinged; or a cuff, arm -guard or leg -guard. Out of concern for symmetry, bracelets are often designed in pairs, particularly in the Arab -Muslim and Indian worlds. Human beings also like to set themselves apart by showing off things their rivals do not have. Because of their shapes, a number of ethnic bracelets occupy the border region of two worlds. On the one hand, many still look as they did in prehistoric times. Several ethnic groups from the remotest parts of the globe have carried their traditions right into the middle of the 20th century. On the other hand, we find the jewellery of contemporary artists inspired, whether consciously or not, by distant sources. Their symbolic importance, however, is very different. The ethnic bracelet identifies the individual’s place in the context of his social setting. It is emblematic of his or her life, a symbol of power or wealth or a protective charm. The Eskimo or Inuit of the extreme North of the Americas live off hunting and fishing in the tundra, which is covered by ice and snow the greater part of the year. The territory’s limited resources give them ivory and bone as materials. A thin bracelet that hugs the wrist snugly serves a protective finction for Glass beads and shells obtained through archers. Barter allow for the production of some other types of bracelets. The Navajo of the Southwest of the United States first created silver jewels around 1860 after having been taught this craft by the Mexicans. The Navajo silver is a precious material, and their first bracelets were decorated with designs engraved with a chisel. Stamping and the setting of stones would be mastered later. Considered a piece of the sky, turquoise has a talismanic role and is their favourite material. By including it in their offerings, the Navajo hope to be rewarded with rain. The hunter presents the deer with a turquoise as a sign of respect, so that the latter will agree to the taking of its life. Initiated into the art of goldsmithing before the end of the 19th century, their Hopi and Zuni neighbours developed their own styles in about 1930. Silver was no longer used except to support many small pieces of carefully placed turquoise, which produced a mosaic effect. In Pre-Columbian cultures, gold is associated with the sun, the source of blessings. In Colombia, the first evidence of goldsmithing dates from the 4th century B.C. Bracelets are few in number compared to other types of jewels such as pendants and earrings. They appear mostly in the form of hammered cuffs. Their style and technique were perpetuated by the Choco of Ecuador. Feather arts have been practiced in the Americas since prehistoric times, but reached their apogee in Amazonia. The hundreds of species of birds of the great forest assist the feather -dressers, Indians sought to draw near to the bird, considered either a civilizing hero, a mediator between sky and earth or a clan emblem, depending on the role assigned to it. Kaiapo, Kamaiura, from upper Xingu, Karaja, established along the Araguaia, and Urubu, settled farther in the North, all adorn themselves with shimmering feathers according to criteria that are as much based on aesthetics as on symbols of their identiry. Bracelets vary according to the shape, size and structure of the feathers from which they are made. The Kaiapo wear arm -guards on a daily basis, and each age group is assigned specific types and colours. Women also wear some armlets with red tail feathers. The Urubu arrange them in little crowns. According to their mythology, the Kaiapo once lived in the sky. Ritual practices allowed the shamans, beings with supernatural powers, to gain access to the celestial world thanks to the intimacy they shared with the birds. Ornaments of feathers, especially bracelets, help their flight.