Earrings

Earrings, particularly twisted gold hoops ubiquitous throughout western Africa since the first millenium AD, are an essential component of any Senegalese jewelry ensemble. Often paired with a matching pendant or necklace, the more ornate patterns reflect their European inspirations, incorporating delicate filigree work and crested with flowers and circlets of twisted wire design. These designs often bore French names, or French derivatives. Dangling versions, sometimes modeled after common necklace designs, are also popular and are known as "long-longs." Others are small hoops composed of coiled or twisted wire or gold meant to be attached permanently to the ear and worn in multiples. Originating in what is now Mali, these earrings are called "dibe" (or "sigi") and in addition to the tiny, permanent version, come in an impressive variety of shapes, sizes, thickness and tightness of twist. The earrings seen here are a more affordable version of the "dibe" rendered in red and gold silk thread wrapped around generic, hardware store wire. Their gold color is a particularly successful imitation of the real thing, which is also regularly seen paired with red thread for contrast and emphasis of the gold.

Hoop or crescent earrings of wire (typical hardware store metal or iron wire) wrapped in yellow silk thread and red floss. Bands of twisted yellow thread are wrapped around the bottom portion of the crescent with the red floss at the tops of the crescent. The wire would attach directly into the ears.

Marian Johnson, purchased in Dakar, Senegal, 1963-late 20th century to 2012

Good As Gold: Fashioning Senegalese Women, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 24, 2018-February 2, 2020; North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, September 16, 2020-January 3, 2021

Maples, Amanda, Ashby Johnson, Marian, and Dumouchelle, Kevin D., 2018, Good As Gold, Washington, D.C.: NMAfA, Smithsonian, p. 81, illustrated p. 84

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