Materials & Techniques

By definition, embroidery is the addition of ornament using a needle and thread or yarn to decorate and enrich cloth and fabrics. Embroidery is not a technique indigenous to Africa, but spread with Islamic culture from North Africa southward beginning in the 10th century. Elaborately embroidered robes worn by Muslim men of authority were impressive and worthy of emulation.

Stones adorn ancient jewelry as inlays, pendants, and beads. The harder stones are more difficult to work, but they survive better over time. Stones were first chipped into approximate shapes with various metal and harder stone tools. Flint, for instance, can cut stones as hard as quartz. Some stones were then cut to more precise shapes.

Of all the techniques employed by the ancient goldsmith, granulation has proved the most difficult to reproduce. Even today, with sophisticated magnification devices, precisely controlled temperatures, and other superior technology, rarely is granulation done with the skill that was achieved in ancient times.

Both cutting and piercing of sheet gold were accomplished in ancient times by means of small chisels. Some holes may have been drilled.