THE JEWELLERY
The colours of the jewellery reflect the metals and materials used in their creation. Silver characterizes much of the Islamic jewellery, while Jewish communities often adorned themselves with silver-gilt pieces. Copal bars, small shells, multi-coloured murrhine glass, and silver coins frequently compose the necklaces of the Berbers in Morocco. On display here are the elegantly refined works by the craftsmen of Ath Yanni, a collection of seven renowned villages in Greater Kabylia, Algeria. These pieces, made of chiselled silver adorned with filigree, coral, and enamels, date back to a tradition of the early Middle Ages, which can also be seen in Sicilian gold jewellery. The yellow enamel symbolizes the sun, green represents nature, and blue signifies the sky.