Hollow Anklets

This horseshoe-shaped hollow anklet, also known as ḥijl, is handmade from silver. An octagonal shape sits at the end of each anklet, a design commonly used in Sudanese jewellery, especially in Jirtig wedding customs. Anklets such as this are often decorated with repetitive symbolic motifs, each carrying specific names and meanings. 


This traditional foot jewellery was common amongst Sudanese tribes. Anklets like this symbolised of wealth and social status. Women who could afford them would often wear two on each foot. Anklets also held deep cultural importance in Jirtig marriage customs. They were often a priority when preparing a girl’s dowry.