In the 19th century an African possession cult called zār arrived in Egypt and became hugely popular. Jewellery formed an integral part of this cult. Currently, zār jewellery items are sought-after collectors’ items for both private collectors and museums.
Silver of the Possessed places jewellery of the Egyptian zār in its cultural and historical context and addresses Egyptian zār jewellery from multiple angles.
First, it analyses how our current understanding of this jewellery has evolved through collecting and publishing. Examining its cultural background in African possession cults results in a new insight of the many roles jewellery played in zār, observing jewellery as a financial asset allows us to grasp its implications for household economy dynamics, while looking at jewellery in a diachronic perspective may even reveal changes in the ritual itself. Finally, this study explores its potential as an actual historic source: these jewellery items shed...
Show moreIn the 19th century an African possession cult called zār arrived in Egypt and became hugely popular. Jewellery formed an integral part of this cult. Currently, zār jewellery items are sought-after collectors’ items for both private collectors and museums.
Silver of the Possessed places jewellery of the Egyptian zār in its cultural and historical context and addresses Egyptian zār jewellery from multiple angles.
First, it analyses how our current understanding of this jewellery has evolved through collecting and publishing. Examining its cultural background in African possession cults results in a new insight of the many roles jewellery played in zār, observing jewellery as a financial asset allows us to grasp its implications for household economy dynamics, while looking at jewellery in a diachronic perspective may even reveal changes in the ritual itself. Finally, this study explores its potential as an actual historic source: these jewellery items shed light on the world view of their wearers, and as such form an unexpected additional source for late 19th and early 20th century Egypt.
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