Ottoman Choker Necklace Kirdan with Blue Beads

A great folk necklace from the Ottoman era. Theris type of necklace called kirdan or gerdanlik was worn across North Africa, Western Asia, and in Eastern Europe.  Made with low-grade silver, the necklace is composed of two tiers. The first is a repousse element that some say is a stylized fish or snake or even a grain, to symbolize fertility and abundance. There are blue glass beads interspersed between the top-tier elements to ward away the evil eye. The second tier is a series of discs that stand in for coins to endow the wearer with prosperity. The middle element has a blue stone to protect the wearer from the evil eye.  The closure is a hook and small eye mechanism.

There are minor depressions in some of the repousse elements and it has been restrung at some point and a chain was added for easier wear.

• Length is 41 cm ( 16")
• The Depth  is 4 cm (1 1/4")
• Weight: is 27.6 g