Horse Brass necklace
Very cool tribal belly dance jewelry, and a bold statement necklace steeped in centuries of history.
From Wikipedia: "A horse brass is a brass plaque used for the decoration of horse harness gear, especially for shire and parade horses. Used since antiquity, they became especially popular in England in the 19th century, and remain a collectors item today. One form of horse brass is a phalera, an ornament in the shape of a boss, disk, or crescent, most often used in pairs on a harness.[1] It often had 3 attachment points on the back, two for attachment to the harness and one for attachment of a tassle or "sallong".
There are two styles available; crescent or cross. Please indicate which you prefer. Suspended from triple strands of antiqued brass chain with a large brass hook clasp and glass bead accents. Approx. 18". The brass itself measures 2 3/4" across and almost 3 1/2" top to bottom. This is a very large and heavy piece.
Personally I love these things; being a horse-lover from infancy and a tribal fusion bellydancer now, I think they work excellently as part of costuming jewelry. And men who are so inclined could of course wear this piece.