The Future of Tradition Collection

A collection commissioned by the Nagada Art Gallery, Cairo, around traditional objects from all over the world, repositioned into easy to wear and modern pieces. Each piece is unique, and the collection limited to 50 numbered pieces.

La collection « Le Futur de la Tradition »

Cette collection, commanditée par la Galerie d’Art Nagada au Caire, remet dans un context contemporain et facile à porter des éléments traditionnels du monde entier. La collection est limitée à 50 pièces uniques et numérotées.

FoT 1 :
In rural Afghanistan, old traditional garments are recycled into good luck charms for infants, often with additional embroidery to complement the triangles.
In this piece, they are matched with a modern brass chain and coloured leather.

FoT 4 :
A combination of fish bones, seeds and silver. Fish bones are part of traditional chief headgear in Oceania and in South East Asia. Such seeds are used as prayer beads in India.

FoT 7 :
Traditional embroidered pin cushions from Laos combined with silver lined modern Japanese beads and a volcanic stone bead.

FoT 10 :
Such wooden pendants are traditionally put on goats and sheep in Afghanistan to keep them safe. It is combined with afghan beaded rings used for traditional jewelry and mounted on leather. The feathers, traditionally used for head gear, are from Brazil.

FoT 14 :
Traditional hollow silver beads from Myanmar, combined with 19th century elements of a chandelier and shells. Mounted on a silver chain.

FoT 17 :
A traditional children's rattle from Senegal combined with a silk tassel. The art of “Passementerie“ can be traced to the time of the Pharaohs, as seen on sculptures and frescos. Tassels are found on camels in ancient Chinese processions, on Peruvian costumes, on military uniforms all over the world and as a sign of power and wealth. They started being used widely for indoor furniture and curtains in the 16th century.

FoT 20 :
Amthyst and pearls, classic traditioanal elements of jewelery from India and Europe, are combined with elements for 19th century chandeliers and a silk tassel. The art of “Passementerie “can be traced to time of the Pharaohs. Tassels are found on camels in ancient Chinese processions, on Peruvian costumes, on military uniform all over the world and as a sign of power and wealth. They started being used for indoor furniture and curtains in the 16th century.

FoT 23 :
Seeds and precious metal have been used for making jewelry since the earliest time, as seen in numerous archeological sites. This piece combines red Peruvian and Australian seeds with the silver cast of an Australian "Gum Nut" seed and a silver chain and beads.

FoT 29 :
Traditional teapot stopper from Myanmar combined with glass beads and seeds from Ghana, mounted on hand made leather cords from Mali.

FoT 26 :
Stone and silver have been used to make jewellery from the earliest days, early examples to be seen in archaeological sites of the Pharaohs. The stone in this piece is a volcanic droplet picked up in the Egyptian Desert.

FoT 32 :
In this piece, a 19th century Ottoman earring is combined with stone beads, and silk tassels. The art of "Passementerie" can be traced to time of the Pharaohs. Tassels are found on camels in ancient Chines processions, on Peruvian costumes, on military uniforms all over the world and as a sign of power and wealth.

FoT 35 :
Bronze bead from Nigeria, combined with a silk tassel. The art of "Passementerie" can be traced to the time of the Pharaohs. Tassels are found on camels in ancient Chinese processions, on Peruvian costumes, on military uniforms all over the world and as a sign of power and wealth.

FoT 38 :
The first known use of shell for ornament dates back to 200 000 BCE. Shells are combined here with vintage silver beads from the bazaars of Cairo and an element from a 19th century glass chandelier.

FoT 41 :
The central pendant is one element of a traditional piece with multiple hanging chains and trinkets from Anatolia. It is combined with wooden and glass beads, cotton tassels and mounted on colored leather.

FoT 44:
Crochet flowers, traditionally used to line head scarves in rural Anatolia, combined with shells from Senegal; mounted on a metal chain.

FoT 2 :
In rural Afghanistan, old traditional garments are recycled into good luck charms for infants, often with additional embroidery to complement the triangles.
In this piece, they are matched with a modern brass chain and coloured leather.

FoT 11 :
Such wooden pendants are traditionally put on goats and sheep in Afghanistan to keep them safe. It is paired here with modern metal elements and mounted on paper and leather cords.

FoT 5:
Fish bones and seeds have been used in traditional jewellery for centuries all over the word. They are still used today to create the head gear of Oceanian Chiefs.
This type of seed is used in India and China as prayer beads.

FoT 13 :
The central pendant is one element of a traditional piece with multiple hanging chains and trinkets worn by nomad women of the wide and flat plains of Mesopotamia - south-eastern Turkey, north-eastern Syria and Iraq. It is paired with Indian modern labradorite stone and mounted on a silver chain.

FoT 15 :
A traditional silver pendant from Eastern Anatolia, mounted with Mauritania vintage shell element used as hair ornament; mounted on a silver chain. The first known use of shells for ornament dates back to 200 000 BCE.

FoT 19 :
Feathers combined with a silk tassel. The art of “Passementerie“can be traced to time of the Pharaohs. Tassels are found on camels in ancient Chinese processions, on Peruvian costumes, on military uniforms all over the world and as a sign of power and wealth. Feathers have been used for head gear in many traditions, including by American Indians.

FoT 21 :
19th century glass beads from Bohemia, specifically designed for the African Market. Such beads highly coveted in Mali, came to be known as “Wedding Beads”. Modern copies from in India are now found in many West African markets. Mounted with modern silver and silver lined glass beads on a silver chain.

FoT 24 :
Seeds, shells and precious metal have been used for making jewelry since the earliest time, as seen from numerous archeological sites and jewelry all over the world. This piece combines polished and sea weathered shells with seeds and silver.

FoT 28 :
Kiffa beads, handmade from powdered glass, fired in small charcoal stove by Mauritanian women in the little town of Kiffa. Many industrial copies, from India, are now available in Mauritanian markets as they are very popular but only few women still possess the traditional skills for making traditional Kiffa Beads.
Blue glass beads from Ghana, red glass beads from India, coconut disks, blue metal tubes.

FoT 30 :
These crochet flowers are traditionally used to line head scarves in rural Anatolia.

FoT 33 :
In this piece, modern pearls and garnet, are combined with a pendant from an early 20th century chandelier from Bulgaria

FoT 36 :
The first know use of shell for ornament dates back to 200 000 BCE. Shells are combined here with vintage silver beads from the bazaars of Cairo and an element from a 19th century glass chandelier.

FoT 39 :
The central pendant is one element of a traditional piece with multiple hanging chains and trinkets worn by nomad women of the wide and flat plains of Mesopotamia - south-eastern Turkey, north-eastern Syria and Iraq. It is combined with wooden beads and colored leather.

FoT 42 :
The central pendant is one element of a traditional piece with multiple hanging chains and trinkets from Anatolia. It is combined with wooden and glass beads, cotton tassels and mounted on colored leather.

FoT 45 :
Crochet flowers, traditionally used to line head scarves in rural Anatolia, mounted on colored leather.

FoT 13: The central pendant is one element of a traditional piece with multiple hanging chains and trinkets worn by nomad women of the wide and flat plains of Mesopotamia - south-eastern Turkey, north-eastern Syria and Iraq. It is paired with Indian modern labradorite stone and mounted on a silver chain.

FoT 6 :
Fish bones and stones have been used in traditional jewellery for centuries all over the word. They are still used today to create the head gear of Oceanian Chiefs.
Here the fish bones are mounted with stone beads on a silver chain.

FoT 8 :
Traditional, handmade embroidered pin cushions from Laos, glass and stone beads, mounted on a metal chain.

FoT 9 :
Traditional embroidered pin cushions from Laos combined with silver lined modern beads from Japan and seeds from Peru. Mounted on a brass chain.

FoT 12 :
Such wooden pendants are traditionally put on goats and sheep in Afghanistan to keep them safe. It is paired here with a vintage resin bead imitating amber from Central Asia, seeds used for prayer beads in China and handmade leather cords from the Niger River.

FoT 16 :
Traditional children's rattles from Senegal combined with silver beads, mounted on hand made leather cords from Mali and rubber.

FoT 18 :
Tassels have been an important part of costume and indoor furniture for the upper class and the army at least since the days of the Roman Empire.
Here it is combined with lapis lazuli and silver.

FoT 22 :
Modern handmade beads from Ghana, with the central pink bead mimicking coral. Mounted on leather.

FoT 25 :
Seeds, shells and precious metal have been used for making jewelry since the earliest time, as seen from numerous archeological sites and in ethnic jewelry all over the world. This piece combines Australian seeds, Indian semi-precious stones, mother of pearl, and silver.

FoT 27 :
Stone and silver have been used to make jewellery from the earliest days, early examples to be seen in archaeological sites of the Pharaohs. The stone in this piece is a volcanic droplet picked up in the Egyptian Desert.

FoT 31 :
In this unique piece, vintage traditional metal elements of Syrian jewelry, are combined with modern wooden beads, crochet flowers used to line shawls in Anatolia and handmade silk tassels.

FoT 34 :
This piece combines elements of ethnic jewelry from Turkey, Turkmenistan and India with a silk ruff.

FoT 37 :
The first know use of shell for ornament dates back to 200 000 BCE. In this piece a shell is combined here with vintage metal leaves from traditional Anatolian ornaments and an element from a 19th century glass chandelier. Mounted on rubber.

FoT 40 :
The central pendant is one element of a traditional piece with multiple hanging chains and trinkets from Anatolia. It is combined with shells and mounted on rubber.

FoT 43 :
This piece combines rings of glass beads from rural Afghanistan with shell beads and agate from India.