The bands incorporate a variety of materials and construction techniques. They are made using cowrie shells, hand made glass beads with intense colour, hand spun and dyed wool using natural dyes, goat hair bindings on the loops, felted wool fabric and plaited wool pom pom fasteners.

The backs are lined with old but not original fabric. There is evident wear from tribal use to the wool bindings on the lower, convex edges at the centre of the bands where they would have rubbed against the camels' necks.

The blank, plain wool fabric centres are currently a mystery, and show signs of an additional decoration having been attached, perhaps for displaying a type of beaded rosette as seen in Saul Barodofsky's Textile Museum talk way down this post: http://rjohnhowe.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/saul-barodofsky-on-nazarlik/

I originally thought these might be Central Asian Nazarlik camel neck decorations from Uzebkistan or Afghanistan but others now believe they are more likely north African tribal pieces, perhaps Moroccan Berber, Tunisian or from Mali. But please feel free to enlighten me if you have some experience of this type of tribal camel or horse decoration and you know for sure.

Size 90cm x 8cm each band.

For more photos see: http://www.kilim.ie/TRIBAL_ART_AND_ANTIQUES/Pages/Pair_of_Antique_Nazarl...

Please contact me for more information.