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Dec. 17th, 2013 03:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
moonflower77guest password: murkutis8
disclaimer: none of the images belong to me
these are objects that have traditionally been used by the tuareg, and are still in use today. most made me think of items that would be peculiar to ibye's culture.
these are actual rings, except for the one that is shaped like a cage with a sharp top, which is a pendant meant to be filled with fragrant rosewood or some other aromatic substance, and worn attached to one's hair or headdress more or less at the level of the temples or ears. the domed and conical rings are hollow inside and filled with sand, so whenever the wearer moves her hands, for example, while dancing, they will make a soft, pleasant rattling sound.
the "rattle rings" can come in different shapes (cone, sharp triangular ridge, dome, double dome, dome with a flattened top) and are shown below from closer up. each of these has also been made hollow and filled with sand, which makes a soft rustling or whispering sound when the wearer moves her hands.
the etched elongated objects are fragrance-holders, used in the same way as the cage-like pendant. i can easily see ibye making a pair for adhra. he may consider this both more attractive and more convenient than having to rub scent into her skin and/or clothing every time. atyam would wear them as well.
these are traditional tuareg locks, thought to have talismanic protective properties. again, i can imagine ibye making one when needed. on the whole, he is the sort of person who would be skilled at diy, and would find it fulfiling or enjoyable too. among other things, it would be a valuable method of reducing stress in a productive way without harming anyone else, though learning to channel the internal tension into that (or sports or martial arts or rescue operations) alone would take a long time. (just had a random auditory image of seshaya telling him at some point while she was a prisoner of his: "is that what you usually do - fix objects and break people?")
the locks have a complex structure and are meant to be opened in several successive stages. they have the same sort of layered structure as the jewellery, powder boxes and other accessories, and are also decorated on the outside with etched geometrical designs, which, if i'm not mistaken, are thought to provide the owner with the same magical protection.
the grooming/cosmetic kits could be something generic, used throughout the region by both men and women, though for somebody like ibye one would be a must.
the fan-shaped metal objects are hair pins, which can sometimes double as fibulae (clothing fasteners). like the box pendants, they can be made of metal only, or a leather sheath may be drawn over a metal base and stamped on the surface with small metal inserts in unsophisticated shapes. i suppose this could be an older, simpler design, or perhaps it's used when there are not enough resources and/or opportunities for making an item of solid metal.
i'm not sure what the gender prescription for these would be among ibye's people, but it's possible that the same one could be used as a hair pin by a woman and a cloak or headscarf fastener by a man.
the scabbards must have been intended for traditional arm/shoulder daggers. they have a typical shape, straight and rather wide, with a tip that is rounded and may be somewhat wider still. one has a stiff leather loop for the forearm. the leather inlays in turquoise-green seem to be characteristic for the tuareg, at least those who live in mali and niger. the exact same shade of light turquoise or phtalo green can be used for any other leather items (pouches, satchels, shoulder bags, mats, covers, saddles and saddle bags, pendants, flap doors for tents, etc.).
ibye's people may have the same type of shoulder dagger that goes with a similar silver-decorated sheath, though the leather inlays could be a color other than green (blue, for instance). they would probably be intended for the men. ibye may continue to wear one until the last, as would most other male members of his ethnic group; like their headscarves, this could be an item that has mostly stayed unchanged over the centuries (perhaps because of the cultural significance of both). women would wear a dagger for purposes of self-defense, too, but it would be clipped to the belt (the same used to be done in the middle ages by young women from the turkic peoples of central asia, or certain peoples of the northern caucasus).
the large, elongated capsule-shaped object is a veil fastener that is worn by tuareg men on their turbans and serves as an amulet. inside it is hollow and, in the past, used to be filled with grains of sand from the desert or folded sheets of paper with verses from the quran, both of which were thought to provide magical protection for the wearer.
ibye would wear one to fasten his headscarf (probably at one side in a horizontal position or with a slight diagonal slant - either above the ear, where a tuareg man would have clipped it to his turban, or on the neck). he may also attach another one to the upper part of his hood, parallel to the forehead. he would make them himself and cover them with elaborate engravings.
there is this image of him having at least two of those enormous traditional overgarments that have hoods and wide sleeves, and make him look even larger and broader in the shoulders - a showerproof one made from double-layered canvas, and a woolen one in case he feels cold (his definition of cool temperatures being somewhat different from what one might expect). both would be a deep indigo or midnight-blue and would have a capsule talisman clipped to the top of the hood.
the irregular quadrilateral pendants are similar to the box-shaped pectoral pendants and have the same meaning, but are worn wrapped around one's turban on an elastic band. some of ibye's people may have worn them on a headband or armband.
the finger rings decorated with red or reddish-orange carnelian agate are exchanged between tuareg men and women as tokens of affection. they are identical in shape to amulet pendants of a specific kind (the "universal" ones that can be worn on a string as a necklace, woven into one's hair or tied to the headdress), though the latter are more massive and have a larger round aperture, and are thought to have the same protective properties.
i think ibye's people would also have similar sets of (larger) pendants and (smaller) rings in parallel shapes. it's possible that each of them would be believed to protect one against a separate variety of danger, damage or back luck, and the protection would not be complete unless one had both the pendant and the ring to match. those who have the full set would be seen as surrounded by an impenetrable magical wall that was bound to make sure they stayed out of harm's way.
if these amulets were made with onyx (black) or lapis lazuli (intense royal blue), i could see some being passed between atyam and ibye.
this shawl/veil weight is shorter and broader than usual, has a large hoop at the top to draw the fabric through, and ends in two crooked leg-like stalks. it is a special, very rare variety that is supposed to represent the shape of the female body, and probably has a fertility-related meaning. indeed, if one stares at it long enough, it does start to look a little like a squat human figure.
the "shoulder key" worn by atyam when she first meets ibye would look exactly like this.
disclaimer: none of the images belong to me
these are objects that have traditionally been used by the tuareg, and are still in use today. most made me think of items that would be peculiar to ibye's culture.
these are actual rings, except for the one that is shaped like a cage with a sharp top, which is a pendant meant to be filled with fragrant rosewood or some other aromatic substance, and worn attached to one's hair or headdress more or less at the level of the temples or ears. the domed and conical rings are hollow inside and filled with sand, so whenever the wearer moves her hands, for example, while dancing, they will make a soft, pleasant rattling sound.
the "rattle rings" can come in different shapes (cone, sharp triangular ridge, dome, double dome, dome with a flattened top) and are shown below from closer up. each of these has also been made hollow and filled with sand, which makes a soft rustling or whispering sound when the wearer moves her hands.
the etched elongated objects are fragrance-holders, used in the same way as the cage-like pendant. i can easily see ibye making a pair for adhra. he may consider this both more attractive and more convenient than having to rub scent into her skin and/or clothing every time. atyam would wear them as well.
these are traditional tuareg locks, thought to have talismanic protective properties. again, i can imagine ibye making one when needed. on the whole, he is the sort of person who would be skilled at diy, and would find it fulfiling or enjoyable too. among other things, it would be a valuable method of reducing stress in a productive way without harming anyone else, though learning to channel the internal tension into that (or sports or martial arts or rescue operations) alone would take a long time. (just had a random auditory image of seshaya telling him at some point while she was a prisoner of his: "is that what you usually do - fix objects and break people?")
the locks have a complex structure and are meant to be opened in several successive stages. they have the same sort of layered structure as the jewellery, powder boxes and other accessories, and are also decorated on the outside with etched geometrical designs, which, if i'm not mistaken, are thought to provide the owner with the same magical protection.
the grooming/cosmetic kits could be something generic, used throughout the region by both men and women, though for somebody like ibye one would be a must.
the fan-shaped metal objects are hair pins, which can sometimes double as fibulae (clothing fasteners). like the box pendants, they can be made of metal only, or a leather sheath may be drawn over a metal base and stamped on the surface with small metal inserts in unsophisticated shapes. i suppose this could be an older, simpler design, or perhaps it's used when there are not enough resources and/or opportunities for making an item of solid metal.
i'm not sure what the gender prescription for these would be among ibye's people, but it's possible that the same one could be used as a hair pin by a woman and a cloak or headscarf fastener by a man.
the scabbards must have been intended for traditional arm/shoulder daggers. they have a typical shape, straight and rather wide, with a tip that is rounded and may be somewhat wider still. one has a stiff leather loop for the forearm. the leather inlays in turquoise-green seem to be characteristic for the tuareg, at least those who live in mali and niger. the exact same shade of light turquoise or phtalo green can be used for any other leather items (pouches, satchels, shoulder bags, mats, covers, saddles and saddle bags, pendants, flap doors for tents, etc.).
ibye's people may have the same type of shoulder dagger that goes with a similar silver-decorated sheath, though the leather inlays could be a color other than green (blue, for instance). they would probably be intended for the men. ibye may continue to wear one until the last, as would most other male members of his ethnic group; like their headscarves, this could be an item that has mostly stayed unchanged over the centuries (perhaps because of the cultural significance of both). women would wear a dagger for purposes of self-defense, too, but it would be clipped to the belt (the same used to be done in the middle ages by young women from the turkic peoples of central asia, or certain peoples of the northern caucasus).
the large, elongated capsule-shaped object is a veil fastener that is worn by tuareg men on their turbans and serves as an amulet. inside it is hollow and, in the past, used to be filled with grains of sand from the desert or folded sheets of paper with verses from the quran, both of which were thought to provide magical protection for the wearer.
ibye would wear one to fasten his headscarf (probably at one side in a horizontal position or with a slight diagonal slant - either above the ear, where a tuareg man would have clipped it to his turban, or on the neck). he may also attach another one to the upper part of his hood, parallel to the forehead. he would make them himself and cover them with elaborate engravings.
there is this image of him having at least two of those enormous traditional overgarments that have hoods and wide sleeves, and make him look even larger and broader in the shoulders - a showerproof one made from double-layered canvas, and a woolen one in case he feels cold (his definition of cool temperatures being somewhat different from what one might expect). both would be a deep indigo or midnight-blue and would have a capsule talisman clipped to the top of the hood.
the irregular quadrilateral pendants are similar to the box-shaped pectoral pendants and have the same meaning, but are worn wrapped around one's turban on an elastic band. some of ibye's people may have worn them on a headband or armband.
the finger rings decorated with red or reddish-orange carnelian agate are exchanged between tuareg men and women as tokens of affection. they are identical in shape to amulet pendants of a specific kind (the "universal" ones that can be worn on a string as a necklace, woven into one's hair or tied to the headdress), though the latter are more massive and have a larger round aperture, and are thought to have the same protective properties.
i think ibye's people would also have similar sets of (larger) pendants and (smaller) rings in parallel shapes. it's possible that each of them would be believed to protect one against a separate variety of danger, damage or back luck, and the protection would not be complete unless one had both the pendant and the ring to match. those who have the full set would be seen as surrounded by an impenetrable magical wall that was bound to make sure they stayed out of harm's way.
if these amulets were made with onyx (black) or lapis lazuli (intense royal blue), i could see some being passed between atyam and ibye.
this shawl/veil weight is shorter and broader than usual, has a large hoop at the top to draw the fabric through, and ends in two crooked leg-like stalks. it is a special, very rare variety that is supposed to represent the shape of the female body, and probably has a fertility-related meaning. indeed, if one stares at it long enough, it does start to look a little like a squat human figure.
the "shoulder key" worn by atyam when she first meets ibye would look exactly like this.
