Antique Afghan Nuristan Silver and Copper ‘Karamli’ Earrings Pendants

Your word of the day is ‘keramli’! These are ornate, long, drop-earrings worn through traditional piercings or attached to the ear or headpieces to frame the face by ethnic groups in the Swat Valley of Pakistan and also the Nuristan region of Afghanistan, a mountainous area in the Hindu Kush. They feature elaborate designs on large, hollow, teardrop shaped ornaments suspended from decorated stems. They are made of silver and copper. 
 
Ours feature handcrafted knob-like end caps (one much more professional than the other if you look closely), metal ‘beads’ protruding from the ‘teardrop’ central section, and twisted silver tone threads alongside copper and silver tone beads leading to the bent hooks atop. (The central section and silver looking bead tested negative for silver using an acid test.)
 
These were found in our grandmother’s vintage jewelry collection with a note identifying them as from Afghanistan, from DOR. We are not sure if that refers to someone named Dor, perhaps a friend or a relative (Contessa Dorothy Bonin Longare was a relative by marriage). We googled Dor Afghanistan and found a group supporting women artisans but we doubt it existed in our grandmother’s time. In other words, we have no idea when or how these ended up in her hands. Our grandmother’s notes will be included in any sale.
 
They are in very good condition for their age.
 
H 4 3/4” x W 1” x D 1”
Approx. 2.5 oz (71g)
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.