Berber Silver Earrings, Pair of Temporal Ornaments

This is quite a rare pair of antique Berber earrings. These were not worn through the earholes, because they are very heavy. Instead, they were suspended on either side of the face by a thread of wool or leather that went over the head and balanced the pair just under the ears. Alternatively, the earrings were hung from hair. (See the last photo of an old postcard for how they would have looked). The earrings are quite heavy and have hand-engraved motifs such as fish and stars.  On the inside, they carry various hallmarks including the Tripoli mark and HB, the initials of a master silversmith. They test as high grade 90% pure silver. The loops at the end are so worn that they are no longer loops, apart from a few scratches, they are in good antique condition.

• The inner circumference is 18.5 cm (7 1/4").
• Inner diameter is 5.8 cm ( 2-1/4").
• Width is 1 cm (just under 1/2").
• Weight is 132.3 grams.