Kuchi Jewellery

Abstract

Abstract This article focuses on jewellery made by the Kuchi people, which is still one of the marginalized topics. It presents the best-known types of Kuchi jewellery, the way it is worn, the most commonly used materials for its production and the most utilized jewellery techniques. With respect to the date of origin, the focus is mainly on the second half of the 20th century, but also on the present, with regard to the growing trade in these types of jewellery. For a more comprehensive illustration of design, material and jewellery techniques, a collection of jewellery from the 20th century and the present from the collections of the Náprstek Museum in Prague and a private collection was examined. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy was used to find out the elemental composition of the materials used in the making of the jewellery.