Silver crown with gilt and carnelians (Unknown Turkmen Silversmith, 19th–early 20th century)
Here is a beautiful crown made using plain materials and simple techniques. It was crafted by a nomadic silversmith of the nomadic Turkmen people in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The piece is at the edge of being a crown. I guess purists or monarchists might argue that it is just a fine headpiece. It is made with silver, plain carnelians, and cotton lining—perhaps for a chieftain or a high status nomad. However the work is beautiful and cunningly made—it has much greater artistic merit than much fancier works. I would argue that not only is it a crown, it illustrates a great truth about human affairs—If you are a nomad or a wanderer (or a member of some other society that does not crawl before the great but runs away from them) monarchs do not mean as much. Any nomad can put on a crown and declare himself a potentate. Of course, that line of thinking ignores what has happened to modern Turkmenistan where the entire society was enslaved by an evil alienist who wasted the entire treasury making huge marble follies in the desert. Perhaps I need to tell that story!
ferrebeekeeper 
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October 4, 2015 at 11:05 PM
Silk VanLeer
That’s a woman’s headdress, worn for special occasions, like festivals. I have a small collection of similar fire-gilded pieces, mostly large medallions worn on the back of women’s cloaks.
October 9, 2015 at 12:46 AM
Wayne
Thanks so much, Silk! Your comment has more real information than my whole post. I really love this headress and I was wondering about it.
October 8, 2015 at 2:37 AM
Beatrix
“What has happened to modern Turkmenistan where the entire society was enslaved by an evil alienist who wasted the entire treasury making huge marble follies in the desert. Perhaps I need to tell that story!”
Please do tell!
October 9, 2015 at 12:37 AM
Wayne
Oh yeah! They have had a hard time–I do need to tell that story…