Makers and Wearers
Across the ethnic communities that make up Afghanistan’s unique cultural tapestry, jewelry is immensely significant——communally and personally. But perhaps most recognizable is Kuchi jewelry. Named after the Kuchi nomads of southern and eastern Afghanistan and fashioned from a mélange of materials, this distinct jewelry is designed to be both beautiful and durable.
Rada Akbar
Traditionally, jewelry holds both aesthetic and ritualistic value. In addition to elevating individual beauty, these pieces can serve as talismans, providing the wearer good fortune or protection from harm. Intricately crafted headpieces, cuffs, and anklets are used to mark a rite of passage, typically worn by a bride on her wedding day or during traditional ceremonies. Throughout Afghanistan, women also wear more subtle pieces, modeling daily elegance with a simple pair of silver hammered earrings or a ring adorned with colorful tourmaline. The distinctive craftsmanship of Afghan jewelry incorporates an eclectic blend of elements including silver, beads, coins, and precious and semi-precious stones.
Even though a variety of materials may be used to craft a piece of jewelry, lapis lazuli is undoubtedly the stone of choice. This azure rock has served both practical and ornamental purposes for thousands of years. The Gemological Institute of America writes,
“Historians believe the link between humans and lapis lazuli stretches back more than 6,500 years. The gem was treasured by the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. They valued it for its vivid, exquisite color, and prized it as much as they prized other blue gems like sapphire and turquoise.”
Indeed, the golden sarcophagus of Egypt’s ancient boy pharaoh, King Tutankhamun, was inlayed with lapis believed to have been imported from Afghanistan. A highly regarded stone, lapis has been associated with strength, wisdom, royalty, and truth——key pillars for a successful ruler. The stone’s celestial blue hues, flecked with golden pyrite, are reminiscent of the night sky. Ancient Egyptians often meditated on these colors in an effort to experience spiritual transformation.
In order to become a symbol of Egyptian wealth and enlightenment, lapis lazuli traveled the timeworn path of the Silk Road from Afghanistan. The vast and remote landscape of Badakhshan province is home to the world’s finest lapis lazuli deposits. High in the Hindu Kush mountains, the mines at Sar-e-Sang, meaning “stone summit” in Dari, were the main source of lapis in the ancient world and continue to provide raw material for jewelry production to this day.
Philip Poupin
In the wake of the Taliban’s return to power, women’s rights and freedom are increasingly threatened. Targeted efforts to remove women from the public sphere border on a campaign of complete erasure. A friend of our co-founder Belinda is dedicating her life to fighting this. Rada Akbar set about highlighting the strength and resilience of Afghan women through visual and wearable art. Her project Abarzanan, meaning “superwoman,” aims to redefine what it means to be a woman in Afghanistan. Artijaan’s jewelry collection is inspired by Belinda’s admiration of Rada’s elegance and appreciation for the beautiful pieces of jewelry she wears. If you would like to learn more about Rada’s work, please visit https://abarzanan.com/about-the-artist/
In Afghanistan, a woman choosing to wear jewelry may soon become not only an aesthetic choice but a defiant one.
