04/30/2026
Tamborin Necklace by Federico de Vera.
Antique Philippine gold beads(14k-18k) and lava rock. Necklace 34” long / Pendant 3.5” long.
Please inquire.
The Philippine Tamborin(or Tamburin) necklace developed from earlier Spanish Colonial religious jewelry. The name is derived from the French “tambour”, a specialized frame for needlework sometimes employed with gold. By the 19th century, this devotional jewelry became an ornamental and fashionable status symbol for the wealthy.
Finely worked gold beads using repousse, granulation and filigree work were commonly crafted by Filipino artisans in the Ilocos Sur region.
They display detailed patterns based in nature such as the pomegranate(granada), star-fruit(balimbing) and flowers(florecitas and rositas).
Each necklace is loosely organized in a traditional decade rosary style with a mariposa(butterfly shape) connector above an oval pendant at the bottom. This pendant is symbolic of original Spanish relicarios that protected a religious relic, but soon evolved into a radiating floral design containing a more decorative image within the negative space. These original antique gold beads and necklaces are extremely rare today and found mostly in personal collections and museums.
“Kayamanan- The Philippine Jewelry Tradition” by Ramon N. Villegas. Manilla, 1983.
Contemporary Aklan Piña - pineapple fiber and silk textile.
