Hi Rosanna,
I think this is a coincidence. I showed it to my partner Ward and this is what he has to say:
'Your fibulae are almost certainly not made for tourists. There were simply a lot of silversmiths making thousands of fibulae for a big clientele, women everywhere in Marocco (and Algeria and Tunesia): they were made in different techniques and different styles depending on the region, town or tribe and depending on local fashions … I suppose yours are from the Central High Atlas'

A similar fibula is also to be seen in ' Bijoux Berbères au Maroc' from David Raouch (Paris 1989), figure 97, p 93 (attributed to the Aït Shokmane in the Central High Atlas).

-This type is casted silver. The ones from ebay don't have an Original chain, it is too short for that-.

I have some pictures from our collection, from Central High Atlas, and some with the same basic form but from different areas.

I have a problem right now to get these pictures posted on BCN, but if interested I can send them by mail, just leave me your email address.

This has a much longer chain but similar design - also on eBay.

Definitely Moroccan, but not mass produced nor a tourist item. There are many similar designs, such as the other picture you just posted, but these were just one or two of many beautiful fibulas created. Fibulas were some of the earlier pieces I started collecting years ago because I found them so intriguing as well as beautiful, & I have a few similar ones to yours. I think the biggest differences are actually the quality of the silver they were made in, but all are quite beautiful & serve such interesting purposes. Enjoy them..there is so much you can do with them! Lynne

Rosanna thought more people might be interested in our mail conversation concerning fibulae. Now that she resolved my picture problems, I will post them along with our discussions. I know, these are not beads, but towards the end phenolic beads come back on the foreground.

Pictures below: A pair of our collection from the Central High Atlas (145 gram with chain)- similar style of Rosanna's.
Cfr. Bijoux Berbères au Maroc from David Raouch (Paris 1989), figure 97, p 93 (attributed to the Aït Shokmane in the Central High Atlas).

First pic: There are many similar, but still different examples of the type of your fibulae:
From the same region (116 gram):

Second pic: pair most probably from Essaouira 245gr.

Morocco has endless types of fibulae, with great detail diversities within one tribe. You always find one that is not exactly what you already have. And so the collecting never ends. Must sound familiar?

pic 1 : (204 gram) from the Chtouka (in the south of Agadir

pic 2 : from Jbel Siroua

Martine and Ward -
Thank you so much! I had no idea about any of this. You are right, the designs can look the same but there are subtle differences.

Your pieces look like high grade silver to me, just from the sheen they have. My fibula is definitely not high in silver content, and is poorly finished on the back. It could be made of brass as well. But, I suppose it just means that it is a lower-grade product for the low-end market.

Do you think that someone removed the other fibula and attached the chain to the remaining fibula to make it into a necklace? I can't see how my necklace could be used in it's present form to fasten a garment. But, maybe you have seen this configuration before.

Thanks again!
Rosanna
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Hello Rosanna,
Glad you appreciate it. I am afraid you will regret asking questions. Once I’m started I sometimes can’t stop. ;-)

Yes these are high grade silver and some are quite old and have consequently a very nice patina and feel. But there are some beauties even in iron!
There is a market for any quality level.
Some silversmiths had a well-spread reputation fort their quality and detail of work. In the high days most of these were of Jewish origin until in the 60’s a vast majority moved to Israel.

I don’t know if you have been to Morocco, but the amount of jewels and fibulae you still find now is still astonishing. The first days I always ‘freeze’ because it is too much: you have to find the needle in the hay stack.
What is more difficult is to find high quality pieces and authentic designs: the right combination of fibulae, chain and decorative additional elements. You easily find separate fibulae . I guess chains broke easily and who knows when money was needed chains and the small elements were first up for sale… I have seen older pictures where women were wearing their fibulae without chains.
Then there are also fibulae who never were designed to have a chain (I’ ll add some pictures)

What you will find in many shops are ‘assemblages ‘ of fibulae from eg the North with some silver elements from the East and a chain from the South. These assemblages are often more opulent than the original ones. They sometimes use elements that come – may be from the right area- but from necklaces, or head ornaments. - Most Morocan sellers don’t really care/mind, most don’t have the detailed knowledge. So you have to know the different techniques and designs of the separate elements used in specific areas/ groups to be able to judge whether the whole is an authentic combination. The pictures I sent you in the previous mail with similar basic shape of fibulae but all coming from different tribal groups with each their specificity are good examples of how tricky it gets.

We are lucky that one of our good friends is a living encyclopedia when it comes to Morroccan silver jewelry. Even people knowing it quite well – publishing books- still make blatant mistakes….

But coming to your find: to me it is very unlikely that the phenolic bead belonged to a fibulae ensemble.I have never seen- in real nor in publications- amber as part of an authentic fibulae ensemble . Amber and resins are in necklaces, head and hair ornaments, ear rings and - ornaments.
What you do find along with fibulae depending on the area are silver decorative pieces- some with enamel-, old coins, red glass beads, small red coral beads, silver dangles and towards the South-east and South-West of Algeria even shell (I’ll add a picture)
Your chain looks like a typical chain used to attach fibulae., but you just miss the 2nd fibuale. My conclusion is that it has been assembled to make it more appealing in order to sell.

I’m going to add some examples of complete and authentic sets of fibulae Ward accumulated over the years. You’ll see how divers fibulae can be.
Sorry if this all was known information to you.

pic 1: designed without chain :Zehroun, Mid-Atlas, Morocco

pic 2 :designed without chain: Zaiane, mid-Atlas, Morocco

pic 1 : Salé, Atlantic coast, Morocco

pic 2 : Possibly Aït Sechrouchen, S-E Morocco, S-W Algeria

Possibly Fuim Sguid, Southern Draa Valley, Morocco

à jour technique and typical rihanne chain

Even within a small area many variations can be seen

Pour finir en beauté

Wow -- I just love this post. Mostly I just wanted to say thank you -- your collection of fibula is just amazing and it's particularly helpful to have the locations of where they are from!

It also gives an excuse to post my two favorite fibula, both from Morocco.

Cheers,

Abe @ Beadstore.com

The wonderful couple on the left with heavy coral inlay are not from Morocco, but from N-Algeria, from the Grande Kabylie. Typical for that area are brooches, fibulae and bracelets with lots of coral. They are close to the source of the coral, the Mediterranean Sea.
I don't know any Moroccan fibulae with such heavy inlay, at the most a bead or cabochon.
If interested I can look up some bibliography for you.

Any bibliographic information would be would be wonderful! Thanks :)

Hi Abe,

In ‘Jewellery from the Orient. Treasures from the Bir collection’ by Wolf-Dieter Seiwert, 2009 Arnoldsche Art publishers, Stuttgart. ISBN 978-3-89790-319-7,
there is a small chapter ‘From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic’ with some nice examples of Grande Kabylle jewels, amongst which 2 fibulae.

The only book I have so far seen completely dedicated to Algerian jewels is a catalogue to an exhibition ‘Bijoux & parures d’Algérie. Histoire, techniques, symboles’, 2003, Somogy éditions d’art, Paris. ISBN 2-85056-642-X

There is also a book by Henriette Camps-Fabrer ‘Bijoux berbères d’Algérie. Grande Kabylie, Aurès', from 1990, which I have not seen and is hard to find.

If you google images ‘fibules Grande Kabylie Algérie’ then you will find some examples similar to yours.

Hope these little bits are helpful.

And last 'pour le plaisir des yeux' as they like to say in Morocco:
Enclosed a picture of a head ornament made NOT by an Algerian, but by a Moroccan silversmith from Tiznit. He died quite some years ago but was well-known - still is amongst older jewellers in Marrakech- for wanting to improve and refine the Algerian style of Grande Kabylie. He was passionate about it. If you compare it with the Kabyllie pieces, it is indeed a more subdued style. Still, one wonders when the day comes no one will remember this, will it be classified as Algerian?

that shape has been attributed to different groups.
Enclosed one of Ward 's collection, attributed to the Jbel Siroua (betw. High and Anti-Atlas S-Morocco), but when looking at the stamps, it tells a different story: these are stamps from FEZ - whatever interpretation this is worth.
Other examples I have seen were identified as High-Atlas ...

These are the stamps found on the fibulae.
Looking at yours there could be stamps on the hoops as well, unless it is pure decoration.

Hi Martine,
Wow, I really appreciate the pictures and information enthuse interesting pieces.
...
I was thinking I'd just remove the phenolic beads and then sell the chain & fibula but now I have a whole new perspective. The chain is very uncomfortable for wearing around the neck so I am considering replacing it with a braided leather or something easier on the neck.

Thanks again for the wonderful "lecture" on fibulae!

Rosanna

Hi Rosanna,
You definitely should make your bead wearable especially since it has never really belonged to the chain, nor the fibulae. Leather is for sure the perfect choice for his bead! I admire how you finish your necklaces so well. I am very curious to see the end result with the braided leather. –
Below some examples how Morocans/Algerians have been using leather and phenolic and amber beads.

Pic 1:W. Anti-Atlas, Akhadd, Morocco: head ornament

Pic 2: Reguibet, Bella, Algeria, braid ornament

Hi Rosanna, I think I have to give some more appreciation to phenolic beads, I have been so conditioned to appreciate ‘real amber’ as used in the older pieces, that I forget these beads have a whole own history and beauty as well. I am also not sure when to call a fake amber ‘phenolic’.

Our friend from Morocco just gave me a little present last week while on a short visit, and I was delighted. See enclosed picture (sorry the quality): it is what is known as ‘ambre Marseillais’ in Morocco which is in fact bakelite (made in Marseille at the time). I had never seen it in this freeform, always in round bead form.I am also very surprised that it can have such a patina. I will pay some more attention to these ‘fake’ amber beads in future. Hope you enjoy it as well.

Martine,
And wow, I love those two worn & shaped phenolic beads. I am doing some research on the phenolic beads traded into Africa, and this is the first time I have heard the term "amber Marseillais". Do you have any more information about the production of these beads in France? The only information I have on the large Bakelite or phenolic beads going into Africa is that they came from Czech Republic or Germany. But, there were Bakelite factories all over Europe, starting in the 1910's.

So my assumption is that the basic material for beads (probably in long rods) was made in many locations. But the mystery is where the actual beads were made. I think the beads were mostly made as plain "wheel" shapes in Europe, traded to Africa, and then the beads were worked into different shapes in the Maghreb countries.

Perhaps your contacts would know more about them.
Rosanna.
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Hello Rosanna,
When it comes to the Marseille amber, I think I have to be cautious. Stories can take enormous proportions and have an own life and after reading your last mail, I wonder if that name was not attributed to Marseille because it was shipped out of Marseille towards Morocco, and hence it was said it was made in Marseille….???
I will try to find a bit more on French websites, and check out with my Morocco contact as well.
...
I am looking forward to the result of your research, and I hope I can find bits and pieces that can help you forward. I’d be very happy to do so.

Martine

Hi Rosanna,
I received a first reaction from my Moroccan contact and he wanted to point out some misunderstandings caused by what you could say 'Moroccan campfire amber naming'.

In his +/-30yrs of handling Moroccan jewelry amber and synthetic amber he concluded the following:

Ambre Marseillais: is in fact the denomination used for all SYNTHETIC BROWN/RED amber made from +/- 1900 on. This synthetic amber was shipped from Marseille, hence 'ambre Marseillais'. Why they don't name the yellow synthetic ambre also 'Marseillais' he really does not know.

'Ambre copal': now here comes the trouble.The OLDER YELLOW SYNTHETIC amber they name 'copal'!!! (instead of the natural younger resins.)

And now I understand why I had trouble with sellers convincing me something was copal, while it was clear it was synthetic....

He promised me that he will inquire further about the origins of ambre Marseillais and hopes some of the older generation in the trade will be able to tell him more about it.
So at best we'll know some more through oral history!

Below pic 1 : what Moroccans call 'ambre Marseilais'
Pic 2: what Moroccans call 'copal'
Both being synthetic.

I am sorry if I'm confusing everyone now.

The information thus far has been very enlightening!

I wonder if you could give me your impression of these. They test positive with Simichrome and are very heavy. I'd like to understand more about them. Are they Ambre Marseillais? and have you any idea as to their value? Thank you for any response.

I was just following an eBay auction for a single large (1 1/2" or so) red "amber" phenolic bead like yours and it sold for over $600 (eBay 201343907023). Check the sold listing and some individual beads are going even higher. There is another being offered for $999 (eBay 221768007841). Based on that I would say your strands are quite valuable right now, well into the thousands. You might want to follow the auctions for a while to get a better feel for realized prices. You'll need to search for "cherry bakelite bead", "cherry amber bead", "red bakelite bead" and maybe also "cherry red copal amber Bead" since a variety of terms are used for this bead material.

The term "Faturan" is also sometimes used for old phenolic resin beads.

Great beads you have there!

Hi Rosanna and Toby,

Never heard of 'Faturan'. Any idea where that comes from? Does it have a specific meaning?

And Toby, your great necklace would be called Marseillais in Morocco. It is not as highly priced as the real amber, but it is much appreciated . I have no idea how much they ask there right now, but as Rosanna rightly suggested, check out the sold listings on ebay, that surely will give you a good idea.

Martine, you can read Jamey Allen's informatino about Faturan here on the Amber Is Forever blog:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/amberisforever/conversations/topics/237

Martine, I have copied the blog entry and pasted it here - written by Jamey Allen in April of 2012 on his Amber is Forever Forum group. Perhaps you have to be a member before you can see entries. I'm sure Jamey wouldn't mind!

Apparently the name "Faturan" is well-known in the Mediterranean and Near Eastern regions, and in recent years (perhaps mainly due to the Internet) has become more widely disseminated.

The idea of an amber-like material called "Faturan" has gained almost mythic proportions. So many people believe this stuff exists, that it is VERY difficult to counter unwarranted ideas, even by the use of science and reason. I've been told on more than one occasion that I don't know about Faturan because I am an American. However, I am an American who has studied amber and amber imitations thoroughly for over thirty-five years--and I am internationally well-traveled, and have visited a number of museums to document amber collections.

So, exactly WHAT is Faturan? On the Net you can find a variety of explanations, most of which more-or-less agree that this was a concoction made from actual amber (shavings) melted together with plastic and other materials. So it is FRANKLY an imitation, or at best a concoction of adulterated amber.

Here's a Wikipedia article that purports to describe this material. However, before you read it, please be aware that this article is full of mistaken ideas about amber, and what it is possible to do with amber in terms of making a new material. Clearly, this was composed by someone who believes the myth of Faturan, but who is not well versed in science and technology:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faturan

There are two important and distinct problems with the basic story about Faturan:

1) The amber shavings are "melted."

Let's remember this (as said by me MANY times--including in messages here and in posted essays)--when amber is heated it DOES NOT achieve a liquid or semi-liquid state. At best, heated amber becomes soft and gummy. (If you can melt "amber"--it it NOT amber. This is one of the ways we distinguish between actual amber and similar-looking copals or other natural resins. The non-meltabilty of amber is one of its prime characteristics!)

In the manufacture of pressed amber (ambroid), great care is taken in the preparation and heating of the material to get the desired result. Amber melts at about 615 degrees F. If the temperature is a few degrees too low, the material remains hard and stiff. If the temperature is a few degrees too high, the material catches fire and burns. The possibility of pressing amber was only made possible by the development of scientifically calibrated instruments, devised in 1881, that made it possible to slowly and carefully raise the temperature of the container and amber, degree by degree, observed by the use of an accurate thermometer. (This is why there is no "pressed amber from ancient China" (nor from anywhere), and it is precisely why "primitive societies" DO NOT make pressed amber.

Pressed amber comes to us from Germany (where the technique was invented), Poland, and Russia (or former USSR States). It's possible the Chinese now press amber. We need confirmation of this. When we find pressed amber products from what seems to be a "primitive" society or area, it is nearly 100% sure this material has been exported into this region. The bottom line is that late-19th C. science and technology made pressed amber possible. Suggestions that people who do not have this equipment somehow manage to "melt amber" to make concoctions, are NOT credible.

2) The plastic is "melted."

Plastics are broadly divided into two groups: A)--those that will melt when heated (thermoplastics or thermolabile plastics); or B) those that do not melt when heated (thermosetting plastics). The story of Faturan suggests that "Bakelite" pieces were combined with amber and melted together. Ignoring for the moment the previously presented FACT that amber cannot be easily melted, no thermosetting plastics--meaning NONE of the phenolic plastics most often used for making amber imitations--can be melted to be combined with anything else. This is an impossibility.

Let's assume for a moment that a thermoplastic was used in the manufacture of Faturan. HOW is it possible that the melted thermoplastic was combined with amber--when the amber itself does not melt to a liquid state--and particularly when the temperatures necessary for melting the plastic and softening the amber would be VERY DIFFERENT temperatures? The idea is not credible.

Any combination of amber with plastics or resins, would not be a homogenous material. We would see chunks of something, suspended in something else.

3) The plastic is "Bakelite."

As I have said many many times, Bakelite is primarily an industrial material. Because of its method of manufacture, Bakelite is classically dark in color (brown, black, khaki, or mottled combinations of these colors) and is always OPAQUE. It is not a pretty colorful material. However, in 1926, cast phenolic plastics were developed by the Bakelite Corporation, that were made with translucent diaphaneities, and in a broad variety of colors. It is THIS MATERIAL that has been routinely used to make realistic-looking imitations of amber. Like Bakelite, cast phenolic plastics do not melt when they are heated, because they likewise are thermosetting materials. Although it is routinely said that cast phenolic plastics "are Bakelite," in fact, they are not. Their manufacture is distinctly different, event though they are made (primarily) from similar materials. It is a mistake to call cast phenolic plastics "Bakelite." However, this is such a wide-spread mistake that no lobbying from me is likely to change the situation. But, let's admit it. To call this material "Bakelite" is just a convenience. It is jot accurate, it ignores the truth--and the very fact that this happens helps the seller misrepresent the item in question, who may say it is much older than from AFTER 1926.

Nevertheless, any suggestion that Bakelite or any other phenolic plastic can be melted and combined with melted amber is mistaken. This is physically impossible.

So, what now? Is it possible that a gentleman in Egypt (or somewhere) made a concoction that he called "Faturan"--that was made to imitate amber?

Absolutely! LOTS of imitations of amber have been produced over the years--and many of these might derive from some unique "recipe" developed by an enterprising individual. However, the idea that Faturan is made from "amber and Bakelite melted together" is not a tenable idea. It's virtually an impossible idea.

So, WHAT ARE THESE BEADS?

Over the years, time after time--MORE times than I care to remember--I have been told that certain beads are "not true amber--but ARE amber mixed with resin"--or "are amber and plastic melted together." This is essentially the "Faturan story"--even though I did not know this name until fairly recent years. In the vast majority of instances when I have been told this story, and I was able to examine the beads in question, I quickly determined that these beads were made from phenolic plastics. This made it virtually impossible that ANY real amber was included in these beads--making them 100% plastic imitations. And I have to say, it has been a matter of some frustration that when I have told the inquirer the bad news, more often than not, my news has been rejected--in spite of the fact that SCIENCE is on MY SIDE. I understand, based on MANY experiences, that people would rather believe a romantic myth than to believe that the beads they admire so much are merely plastic from some factory. But THAT is the TRUTH !

If Faturan ever existed at all, it was not concocted via the method(s) suggested--because these are impossible. Let's be reasonable. If Faturan beads were made, their production would have been limited--by the length of time that the gentleman made those beads, and by the quantity of his output. He would not have made millions (let alone billions) of such beads. Yet, millions or even billions of plastic beads are routinely misrepresented as "amber mixed with resin" and various similar stories--including that "they are Faturan.". AND, these plastic beads are OFTEN said to be older than the time that cast phenolic plastic was invented--so this idea is likewise false.

What we have here are instances of MISTAKEN IDENTITY. The sellers are applying a romantic name to ordinary plastic beads that post-date 1926, are all-plastic, and are just nice beads. The misrepresentation is either a mistake, or it's a contrivance, that is devised to fetch a higher price for the beads than they would garner had the seller frankly said "these are nice old plastic beads."

CONCLUSIONS

Faturan is NOT what the sellers say it is--because this is impossible. If there are any Faturan beads circulating, they are far-out-numbered by ordinary plastic beads that have been misidentified. If there are any Faturan beads circulating, they are most likely not nearly as old as sellers suggest. If you believe the "Faturan story" and pay an outrageous price for what are merely 20th C. plastic beads or no merit, beyond their prettiness, you are possibly just a foolish person. (I mean, a person who is willing to be fooled, and to pay too much--basically because of a seller's pitch and the use of a romantic name.)

***********************************

"Misketa"is just a name for hand-rosaries in the Middle East (and places where Islam is practiced), and in Christian countries (or in a non-religious way) where "worry breads" are used. A misket or misketa is a hand rosary or a worry-bead-strand. Often these have been made to simulate amber. Some are phenolic plastics (particularly older ones), but MANY are new plastics, and are not thermosetting. In general, misketa beads (also sometimes called komboloi, misbaha, tasbih, etcetera) are or may be composed from smaller beads than those used for longer necklace-format prayer beads.

I hope this is helpful. Jamey

....as amber mixed with synthetic plastics.

That was a very interesting post. Thanks again!

Hi Martine,
I removed the assembly of the two phenolic beads, and just added a single leather cord. The result looks very modern, don't you think?Rosanna
-------------------
Perfect!!!! What a great way to show them off.
The one is much bigger than I thought would be. What a nice surprise!
Martine

------------------
Yes it is 43 mm diameter and 36 mm tall. One of the largest beads I have now. An impulse purchase but I like the beads and the fibula!
R.