Inspired by Amazigh culture, a former Spanish ambassador to Morocco unveils his fascinating collection of Berber jewelry in Granada
Former Spanish diplomat and writer Jorge Dezcallar de Mazarredo is currently exhibiting his remarkable collection of Berber jewelry in a former Nasrid caravanserai in Granada. Housed within the Andalusian Heritage Foundation (Fundación El Legado Andalusi), at the foot of the Alhambra, the exhibition, entitled “Amazigh Jewel. Identity of the Berber peoples”, takes place in a historical setting of the 14th century. Jorge Dezcallar, who served as Spanish ambassador to the Vatican (2004-2006), the United States (2008-2012), and Morocco (1997-2001), is the curator of this exhibition.
With more than two hundred pieces, this collection highlights Berber traditions, an area dear to Jorge Dezcallar who traveled across Morocco to discover its cultural riches through the villages of the Atlas, fairs, and markets. According to him, “Berber jewelry offers a perspective on the cultural, anthropological, and social aspects of the Amazigh, reflecting in particular their pre-Islamic beliefs.“, as he explains in an interview with the French newspaper The Figaro.
The exhibition, which runs until January 2025, features a variety of tiaras, earrings, pectorals, and bracelets. These jewels, traditionally passed down from mother to daughter, played a crucial role in the economic autonomy of women and in the protection of their fertility. Some pieces date back to the 19th century and arouse the collector’s interest for their symbolic meaning.
“Berber jewelry has multiple functions”explained Jorge Dezcallar. “In addition to their aesthetic function, they mark the identity of the person: the tribe, the geographical region, the social status, the marital status, or even the sex of the child, depending on the position of the precious stone in the necklace. They also had economic value, as women wore their wealth in the form of jewelry. Stealing this jewelry was a serious crime, because it deprived the woman of her present and her future”.
These jewels also bear witness to pre-Islamic beliefs, notably with schematic representations of the Punic goddess Tanit, associated with fertility and growth. They also served as protection against jnouns, supernatural creatures from pre-Islamic Arabic mythology.
The manufacture of these jewels, endowed with magical values, was traditionally entrusted to Jewish artisans in the Islamic era. These used fire in their process, an element considered impure by the Amazighs. This protective function is also manifested by the incantations or surahs of the Koran slipped into small cases which make up certain pectorals and necklaces.
