bracelet (adornments)

Iron bracelet (iste'~ik).

Iron bracelets (iste'~ik) like this one are not often worn today -beaded bracelets are more common- whereas in the past they were the most popular form of jewellery. Iron bracelets can also serve another purpose, far removed from their role as jewellery: in the hands of someone gifted with the power to communicate with the ancestors or fairy-like biengs called suchi, an iron bracelet suspended on a length of woollen yarn can act as a divining tool, a technique called iste'~ik karik. The diviner looks at the bracelet as it hangs, gently rotating on its yarn whilst discussing a patient’s malady with a deceased ancestor. By communicating with the dead or the suchi in this way the malady can be cured.

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database sometimes uses language taken from historical documents to help research, which may now appear outdated and even offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections or can suggest corrections to our information, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk