Antique Berber Cross. Double stranded shops necklace of ceramic, brass and coral beads

Antique, fine quality Berber, (Agadez), cross strung with a selection of ceramic, brass, and coral beads. Double stranded necklace in blues and red, silver and brass.

The Cross of Agadez is a famous symbol of the Tuareg people and their capital city, Agadez. Though the exact meaning of the cross is a matter of debate, some Tuaregs say that the circle at the center of the cross symbolizes a well and the smaller circles around it are the footprints of desert jackals that come to drink at the well. We've also heard other Tuaregs shops say that their people were Christians before becoming Muslim, and the cross symbolizes Jesus with a crown of thorns. Still other people have told us that the cross can be used to navigate across the Sahara desert to Agadez by aligning with the North star. French anthropologists tend to believe that the cross is an amulet symbolizing the union of male and female energies.

Whatever your interpretation, the Cross of Agadez is a classic and beautiful adornment for men and women alike.