If you love Turkoman like I love Turkoman ...

Kuchi jewelry is nice, and so is Uzbek and Rajasthani, but if ever there was a style of jewelry that would make me beg for credit card debt in exchange for a pile of shiny shiny treasure, it is Turkoman.  The first time I saw a museum quality Turkoman pendant while browsing online I saved the image so I could go back and look at it again and again (that's it, on the left).  Between the fire gilding, the carnelian stones and the curved shapes and cutouts, it is still one of the loveliest things I've ever seen.  Sharon Kihara has a Turkoman piece she wears as a belt that I would sell organs to possess.

If you're searching for Turkoman pieces, Turkoman, Turkmen and Tekke are the most common keywords.  The Turkmen people live in Turkmenistan and in the northern corner of Iran.  They are famous for the Akhal-Teke horse and carpets with intricate designs.  But oh, the jewelry.

Less talk, more pictures:

 

Carnelian is the traditional stone for Turkoman jewelry, believed to have protective properties.  I have seen reproductions with lapis or turquoise, and sometimes glass colored red, blue or green. 

What I particularly love about Turkoman jewelry is the stylization and the simplicity.  I love the decorative motifs that look like swirling flame.  I love the intricate cutouts combined with the relatively subdued dangles and jangles.  I love that the beautiful glow of the metal is placed center stage. 

I find this piece interesting because I bought several reproductions a few years back.  They link together with pins to form a belt.  Naturally, the belt isn't formfitting and I intend to sew the pieces to a fabric base to make them more dance costume friendly. Also, it is best suited for a solo performance since others don't have similar bold pieces to wear, which is a shame since I'm not much of a soloist. 

Turkoman jewelry is not as inexpensive or ubiquitous as Kuchi jewelry has become, but it is possible to find reproductions and small pieces that don't have the museum quality pricetag. However, be quick to buy a piece you like, because what is commonly available today may be hard to find tomorrow. 

Large reproduction cuffs like this one at right used to be common and fairly cheap for a matched pair a few years ago, but are not so easy to find today.  As bellydance gains popularity, jewelry is being bought up faster than it can be supplied. 

If you find Turkoman jewelry as covet-worthy as I do, here are some good places to look:


Tribal Bazaar has a selection of Turkoman pieces.
Uber Kuchi sometimes has earrings and reproduction Turkoman belts at a reasonable price.  I have purchased two belts, and though they require reworking, they have a lot of costume possibility.  (The seller has also written a nice jewelry buying guide.)

Reproduction belt from Uber Kuchi.

Tribal Muse has Turkoman jewelry from inexpensive to museum quality. 

And of course, haunt ebay.  

My current personal costume project is reworking the reproduction Turkoman belt I bought - transferring it to a fabric base and adding embellishment and creating a coordinating top.  I will let you know how it goes.