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Vintage Don't Know What It Is Thingy

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ho2cultcha's loves17876 of 22708Victorian Silver Sewing Tape Measure Filigree Hallmarked 1900 William OliverHand Forged Bolts & Nuts
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    Posted 9 years ago

    stwillia76
    (137 items)

    Hello all. Here is my vintage Thingy. I have absolutely no idea what it is. It is not marked. I don't know if it is silver. I don't know if it is a broken necklace. I don't know where it was made. It is approximately 20" long. This I do know. Each link has two thingy's. It does jingle all the time. It is very heavy at approximately 235 grams. Your guess is as good as mine as to what it is. Is it Moroccan, Southwestern, Gypsy? It would be good to know something about this strange piece.

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    Comments

    1. kerry10456 kerry10456, 9 years ago
      Belly Dancers choker.....
    2. stwillia76 stwillia76, 9 years ago
      Well I thought it could be something to do with a belly dancer. I also thought it could be something to do with a cape? I dont know
    3. kyratango kyratango, 9 years ago
      Very mysterious thingy! It is well made, all links soldered; perhaps the shells at each end may indicate not oriental origin?
      In my opinion, worth having it tested for silver :-)
    4. davyd286, 9 years ago
      Does not look like silver; and it's been already tested by someone: note the scratch marks on the underside of clasp.
    5. stwillia76 stwillia76, 9 years ago
      I have my doubts too that it is silver. I have a tester but I can't seem to be able to really read the results. Maybe I am doing it wrong. I did not test this piece.
      It is well made and a wonderful thingy.
      I don't know. Maybe it is some kind of cloak or shawl fastener. It's still a thingy.
    6. shareurpassion shareurpassion, 9 years ago
      It could be the front of a belly dancers belt...a necklace...

      Even tho it's not a full proof test but it may help, does it stick to a magnet? (Stainless steel doesn't stick either) it's worth a shot!
    7. stwillia76 stwillia76, 9 years ago
      It is not magnetic at all.
    8. Antiqua Antiqua, 9 years ago
      Dear stwillia, according my understanding your item is a ''trarilonco'' a head piece ornament wear by the Mapuches (South American tribe) whose members live in the south of Argentina and Chile.
      They are well known for their silver craft. At the following there is a link to the Chile museum

      http://chileprecolombino.cl/coleccion/trarilonco-de-eslabones-simples-cintillo/

      http://chileprecolombino.cl/coleccion/trarilonco-de-eslabones-decorados-cintillo/

      Photograph of a mapuche woman ornated with a ''trarilonco''and a ''trapelakucha''(pectoral ornament)
      https://www.flickr.com/photos/28047774@N04/5903183704

      Kind regards.


    9. stwillia76 stwillia76, 9 years ago
      Wow thank you so much. It does look similar. I guess I need to test this for silver now. It weights 235 grams. Hard to believe someone lady could wear something like that but then again I don't see how some women wear the shoes they wear lol. Thanks all. Very interesting.
    10. stwillia76 stwillia76, 9 years ago
      It explains a lot. I got this piece from a jewelers estate. There are several South and Central American items there. It seems obvious that the person was in this area buy the other items. I have Guatemalan Weddings Necklaces, Coin Pendants from Chile http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/142174-handmade-art-piece-silver-coin-pendant-c and a lot of Mexican jewelry.
    11. shareurpassion shareurpassion, 9 years ago
      Nice going Antiqua! That's what I love about being here!

      stwillia, you might want to get all your pieces checked!
    12. stwillia76 stwillia76, 9 years ago
      Well I will for sure. I kept coming back to this piece. I thought it was somehow special. Didn't really think it was South American. I was thinking Northern Africa. Where could someone get something like this appraised? Is there some kind of online appraisal service? I really do live out in the middle of nowhere.
    13. Antiqua Antiqua, 9 years ago
      Dear stwillia76, if you would like to know the market value for your item, the first step is elucidate which metal the trarilonco was made. For that porpoise you can buy some testers at a jewelry tools supply store, or buy trought ebay, amazon. After you have the certain if the item was made on silver or alpaca is posible to looking for how is the average market value.
      Regarding the size, the Mapuche jewelry as are bigger and heavy. The ''status'' of the men was measured in how jewelled was his wife ornated.
      Kind regards
    14. katherinescollections katherinescollections, 9 years ago
      Great information, thanks Antiqua. :)
    15. kyratango kyratango, 9 years ago
      Fantastic! Internet is incredible and a concentrate of the miracle is showing here!!!
      Someone in Japan could identify a Chilian tribal thingy posted on an American site :-)
      Bravo Antiqua!!!

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