Thread: Dowry necklace?

Hang on to your harems everyone, but would it really be horribly RONG!OHNOES! ..l;, to wear a dowry necklace with a cabaret set? I like dowry necklaces, and have seen them worn both as a necklace and as a drape on a cabaret set (hello Jemilah Salimpour) but I'm wondering how 'right' or 'wrong' it is? I'm really not performing folkloric right now, primarily cabaret for Western audience/GP.

You just need to check how it looks. If it looks good wear it. In my experience a lot of "ethnic", for want of a better word, jewellery is too heavy and dark to wear with sequins/beads - the sequins make the jewellery look dull, the jewellery makes the sequins look tacky - but my dowry necklace is ultra light and could look OK with the right costume.

There's images out there somewhere of Tahia Carioca wearing hers as a belly drape.

what do you mean by dowry necklace? :?

This is what I'm thinking of:
http://scheherezadeimports.com/image...lace_small.jpg

yes, that's what i'm talking about ..g.:

oh hmm never seen that before! it looks like it would go more with tribal costuming than cabaret though

Originally Posted by shaabichic

oh hmm never seen that before! it looks like it would go more with tribal costuming than cabaret though

I can imagine a tribal dancer wearing one, too, but I usually think of it as more folkloric -- I've nearly always seen one on a hagallah dancer, and sometimes on Saidi dancers as well.

I think it's fine to mix it, Tahia set the precedent after all! And I think a dowry necklace could bring a nice earthy look to a costume.

I love this photo of Aisha Ali wearing one -

I've nearly always seen one on a hagallah dancer

I was so excited to have mine (I bought it last year) to wear when we did Kazafy's hagallah recently!

Originally Posted by TexasRuya

Hang on to your harems everyone, but would it really be horribly RONG!OHNOES! ..l;, to wear a dowry necklace with a cabaret set? I like dowry necklaces, and have seen them worn both as a necklace and as a drape on a cabaret set (hello Jemilah Salimpour) but I'm wondering how 'right' or 'wrong' it is? I'm really not performing folkloric right now, primarily cabaret for Western audience/GP.

Hi Ruya! I asked Sahra Saeeda the exact same question at her Journey to Egypt San Francisco seminar last year. I wear my crescent necklaces with all sorts of costumes, and I wanted validation. :) I got it! She said (I paraphrase) that they are non-religious, non-dance specific, and are okay to wear with straight belly dance costumes (not just folkloric pieces). I trust her judgment very much, and feel more confident about wearing them with costumes they go with (I work in classic and Oriental styles).

Stepping in to say: Everything that is not cabaret is not Tribal. Dowry necklaces are folkloric and/or costume jewelry. My own was purchased before tribal became well-known and I wore it enough to wear out the shine.

mutter, mutter.....

Originally Posted by kahaz

Stepping in to say: Everything that is not cabaret is not Tribal. Dowry necklaces are folkloric and/or costume jewelry. My own was purchased before tribal became well-known and I wore it enough to wear out the shine.

mutter, mutter.....

Thank you. Damn kids on my lawn.

Originally Posted by kahaz

Stepping in to say: Everything that is not cabaret is not Tribal. Dowry necklaces are folkloric and/or costume jewelry. My own was purchased before tribal became well-known and I wore it enough to wear out the shine.

Isn't it funny how the meaning of words change so much over time? Honestly, when I hear "tribal" now in relation to dance, I don't even really think of coin jewelry, pantaloons, and shells so much as I think of fishnet and combat boots - LOL.

Anyway, I think that necklace could go with just about anything. I'd definitely wear it with my favorite teal sequined bedlah and mermaid skirt, and maybe I'd even throw on some fishnet sleeves just to finish out the look.

Originally Posted by Zamira

Isn't it funny how the meaning of words change so much over time? Honestly, when I hear "tribal" now in relation to dance, I don't even really think of coin jewelry, pantaloons, and shells so much as I think of fishnet and combat boots - LOL.

..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;, ..l;,

Originally Posted by zumarrad

There's images out there somewhere of Tahia Carioca wearing hers as a belly drape.

Look up "The Legends of Belly Dance" DVD, there are two excerpts there where Tahia is wearing this kind of necklace as a drape with a cabaret costume. I found one of them on youtube:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4eT2qWUltQ]YouTube - Taheya Carioca Bellydancer[/ame]