Bracelet

Item number 2878/21 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Silver, cuff-style women's bracelet. There are seven triangular-shaped protrusions extending along the base of the bracelet, at the end of which there is a rounded tip. Between each protrusion is a rounded, linear shape with lines incised across the length. Just before the ends of the bracelet (at the opening) there is a carved pattern of two lines of circular shapes, followed by a smooth finish on the rounded ends.

Specific Techniques

This bracelet is cast silver that has been incised and polished.

Narrative

Kuchi women living both in settled villages and nomadic lifestyles wear such bracelets. Kuchi women's lives can often be dangerous ones, living in isolated 'frontier' towns or villages in the mountains. On their yearly migrations Kuchi women travel hundreds of kilometers transporting their children and household items while the men wrangle large flocks often at some distance away. In the face of such dangers, jewelry is designed to be arresting and beautiful but also often functional, as in this piece, which doubles as an object of defense. Kuchi women typically wear two bracelets, one on each wrist and often wear similar ornaments around their ankles. When in a tight spot, one set is good for punching and the other for kicking. Gokhru cuffs of this type are also worn by Kuchi women from Swat Valley.