Turkmen Asyk Heart/Cordiform Pendants 2


$ 950.00
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  • Turkmen "Asyk" Heart Cordiform Pendants 2
  • Approx. 3 1/2" long x 2 1/2" wide
  • Approx 80% silver with 90% Gold fire gilding with original Carnelian insets
  • 80% or higher hammered and stamped silver 
  • Antique and vintage Tribal Heirlooms were often made of melted colonial high silver content coins and rarely marked or hallmarked.
  • Worn by the Turkmen People of Central Asia, Asyk Pendants were usually Incorporated in braided hair by use of plaits, or larger Asyk were worn as a back or pectoral ornament.
  • Having many sizes and decorative styles, uniformly they appear as a symbol which to the Western eye is a heart. It is possible the Asyk also represented the protective head of a spear. The exact historical significance of the symbol significance is lost in time.
  • Different tribal groups in the region adorn their Asyk by using different techniques.
  • Groups in Northern Afghanistan created unadorned silver pieces without etching or gold fire gilding. Their Asyk include the orange Carnelian cabochons, which are also seen in all other regional styles. 
  • Tekke Turkmen Asyk feature intricate engraving and gilding surrounding the Carnelian cabochons.
  • Yomut Turkmen Asyk feature fire gilded applied shapes and symbols. Often diamond shaped with dotted granulation, circles and crescents are most often represented.
  • Asyk size and weight can vary greatly, which would be in relation to the status or wealth of a Turkmen family. 
  • Origin is Afghanistan