The Met Store Necklaces*Turkmen Leather Statement Necklace

Unique art jewelry inspired by The Met collection.

This striking leather statement necklace reinterprets a lavish horse whip (late 19th–early 20th century) in The Met’s Islamic art collection. Attributed to Iran or Central Asia, the original whip is one of a pair, both of which are richly decorated with pseudo-granulation and turquoise in the Kazakh style and feature likenesses of horse heads—a rare attribute. Such opulent trappings are reminiscent of the regalia produced during the Safavid and Ottoman dynasties, which clearly served as models for these pieces in the Museum’s holdings. Islamic trappings are particularly fine, and both Turkmen tribes and city dwellers carried on the tradition.