Ottoman Choker Necklace Kirdan with Blue Beads

Ottoman Choker Necklace Kirdan with Blue BeadsA 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.

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