RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART PRESENTS 'SPLENDID TREASURES OF THE TURKOMEN TRIBES OF CENTRAL ASIA'

EXQUISITE SILVER AND GILT JEWELRY FROM THE TURKOMEN TRIBES IF IRAN, AFGHANISTAN AND TURKMENISTAN ARE PRESENTED IN A STUNNING NEW EXHIBITION 'SPLENDID TREASURES OF THE TURKOMEN TRIBES OF CENTRAL ASIA' AT THE JOHN AND MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART, SARASOTA, FL., 24.APRIL THROUGH 30.JANUARY.2011. THE EXHIBIT OF MORE THAN 40 OBJECTS HAND CRAFTED BY THE SEMI-NOMADIC TURKOMEN PEOPLE FEATURES HEADDRESS ORNAMENTS, BRACELETS AND CLOTHING CLASPS WITH CARNELIAN AND LAVISH DECORATIVE ELEMENTS OF SILVER AND GOLD. THE COLLECTION INCLUDES JEWELRY CREATED LARGELY IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19th CENTURY AND THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY, AND WORN BY WOMEN FROM HEAD TO ARM. DECORATED WITH GILDING, CHAINS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES, EACH PIECE IS IMBUED WITH SYMMETRICAL YET ORGANIC DESIGNS DRAWN FROM THE TRIBES' MYTHOLOGICAL INTERPRETATIONS OF THE NATURAL WORLD. NOW PART OF THE RINGLING'S DEVELOPING ASIAN ART HOLDINGS, THE COLLECTION WAS RECENTLY DONATED BY STEPHEN VAN C WILBERDING, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO THE SAUDI ARABIA MONETARY AGENCY. THE EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS THE CUSTOMS AND BELIEFS OF THE TURKOMEN TRIBES' DISTINCTIVE LIFESTYLE. THE BOLD AND INTRICATE JEWELRY REPRESENTS THE TURKOMEN TRIBES' FORM OF TRANSPORTABLE WEALTH WORN FOR SPECIAL FESTIVITIES OR DAILY ADORNMENT. OFTEN LARGE IN SIZE, THESE ELABORATE PIECES WERE SEWN ONTO CLOTHING OR ATTACHED TO THE HAIR. UNIQUE TALL HEADDRESSES WERE DECORATED WITH ELABORATE JEWELRY, OFTEN WITH BELLS AND PENDANTS HANGING DOWN FROM THE TEMPLES. SOME ORNAMENTS WERE PURPORTED TO HAVE SPECIAL PROPERTIES TO KEEP THE WEARER SAFE. TRIBE CONTINUITY WAS ALWAYS PRECARIOUS, SO GREAT IMPORTANCE WAS ATTACHED TO WEDDINGS, BIRTHDAYS AND THE SURVIVAL OF CHILDREN. YOUNG WOMEN OF MARRIAGEABLE AGE WORE SPECIAL JEWELRY, WHICH WAS REPLACED BY MORE ELABORATE FORMS FOR THE WEDDING CEREMONY, WHEN A WOMEN'S JEWELRY WAS ENHANCED BY THE DOWRY GIVEN BY THE GROOM AND HIS FAMILY. MARRIED WOMEN WORE THEIR EXPENSIVE COLLECTIONS OF JEWELRY UNTIL THE BIRTH OF THEIR FIRST SON, LAYERING MULTIPLE PIECES FROM HEAD TO HANDS. CHANGES IN HAIRSTYLES, TOO, REFLECTED THE CHANGE IN SOCIAL POSITION, SO TURKOMEN WOMEN ADORNED THEMSELVES WITH SPECIAL HAIR ORNAMENTS TO INDICATE THEIR MARITAL STATUS.
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