Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-06
ODD TURKISH ORNAMENTS.
Harems and Villages Ransacked Tor Irinkets
10 Be Used BY American Women.

y
frogs. bracelets. glrdles, chatelaines.
and what not. has swept into vogue
host of Eastern trappings and orna-
ments that fit right into the need OF
the moment with very little altering or
adaptation.
THAT piece of Turkish armor. with
the coral beans and all tflat rich work
on it. why, ii would make a lovely
clasp fastening for my turquoise tea
gown, just the thing I've been IN
search Of" says delighted shopper.
and she willingly pays the price asked,
and looks around for bracelet or
a bangle TO go with it,
Another woman discovers in the
curious marriage badge of the harem
wife the identical ornament that Will
give smartness TO her frock front ana
orders a girdle made. of the individuai
arlnor pieces linked together. to re
fastened with IA Turkish clasp. SO the
fad spreads.
OF old silver so dulled by time that
il looks like pewter, and very black
pewter al that. this peasan;-made
Turkish frippery. with its curious
raised work and endorsement all set
with crude stones of various colors. has
a character and interest all its own
No two pieces are alike. yet the work
manship and general type of ornamea-
ta:ion declare them of the same family
The antique top TO a jewel box or re-
| liquary bears strong resemblance 10
the girdle clasp and ornate-lookinS
| neadpiece from the same quarter. ana
even the little pOtpourr and bagateile
for holding perfume show this family
likeness The profusion of tiny, hang
ing chains used on some of these or
, naments. all INTERCEPTED and tasseled
| with coral and gilt coins, gives GER
tain lightEess and delicacy to these
sombre silver trinkets. but the blue
and amber and garnet stones bedded
in the heavier part. all of large size
and uniform shape. make them look
substantial. The coral pieces employed
are as large as a good-siZed bean, AMI
corrugated. not smooth. as one is ac-
custonied to seeing coral. The tur-
quoise and emeralds are lustreless ana
of uneven shape. not bright and spark
ling as when the jeweler has cut and
| dressed them. Hearts and crescenss
are cut crudely out of single pieces of
agate and spotted carnelian. and swung.
clasp or bracelet. Dull blue. pale rose,
aquamarine. and topaZtinted stones
are Sc. in the old silver groundwork.
raised in relief and cmbellished with
enamel. In between these settings the
groundwork shows dark, almost as il
oXidiZed. although the importer claims
that this darkness is entirely owing TO
dirt genuine old Turkish grim accumu-
lated with years and hard to get Off.
We buy these things individually.
pick them up one at time here and
there throughout Turkey" he says.
and some of them are in need of re-
pair when they get here. There's 4
Turk here who learned the silver work
trade in his own country. and makes
living here by doing such repairing az
he can get in things that cannot be
done in the factories. He's hand
worker in metal. and has made stuff
like this in little peasant village IN
Mahomets land ever since he was IA
child. l gave him some of these trim
| ketS to repair the other day and liz
| brought them back beautifully mendei
but shining bright like new, utterly
ruined for all antique or picturesque
purpose and robbed of their distinc
| tiveness. He had simply cleaned the
| silver to the best of his ability. and at
my request he spent the next few days
| in furnishing 1t again as best he could.
The things never got back the gem
uine dirt that had been a main attrac-
| ton, and now he is careful not to run
| the CRIME off. These very handsome
solid-silver ornaments, set with stones.
are fleirloOms sold by members of Old
and wealthy Turkish families to the
! collectors for half their value. They
are all handsome. as you can see--put
| together, little by little, by the native
tradesmen, who take orders at their
homes Cor such work. These peasant
workers have very primitive tools as
We would consider them. and The men
and boys will sit outside their doors
for days together. pegging away and
chiselling at this silver, carving and
filagreeing it, and manipulating the
stones, which they buy quite cheap in
their crude state from the dealers in
such things. A number of these armor
fittings and the trappings for women's
dresses you see here have been in ac-
tual use and wear in Turkish house,
holds for generations. Our agent has
either bought them from the owners
themselves or from some native collec-
tor who hunted them up for the pur-
pose of selling to foreigners, and who
knows how to make good bargain.
Others of cheaper grade we rave made
by the peasant workers after the mod
els secured from the great houses. The
agent gets the crude stones in the bulk
and the pieces of old silver necessary.
also such materials for enamelling, and
the tools, il any additional are needed.
and makes deal with the tradesman
to turn him out so many ornaments of
a certain style.
1t will be months before they are COM
pleted, as a great many of the workers
merely hammer at their silver trade as a
side issue in between times, having IA
little farm or some regular employment
to depend upon for Il living. The more
skilled tradesmen. those who do the deli
cate work of a higher order. devote their
entire attention to it. Those linked
bracelets made of old silver but as fiex-
ible as rubber. are made by skilled work
men. Bracelets and anklets clasped with
coral. turquoise and emerald stones
coarse cut and unpublished, are a main
feature in the Turkish woman's wear
The revival of bracelets in England and
America brings these all in use again