- Collection type
- Object
- Description
- Ear ornament of silver and gilt metal, sun pattern surrounded by silver spheres, each with a blue bead and silver knobs.
- Geographical reference
- Balochistan province Kalat Kalat-e Baluch
- Cultural groups
- Brahui
- Date / Period
- Date made: Before 1945
- Date collected
- By 1945
- Acquisition information
- Loaned: 1945
- Materials and processes
- Material Silver Metal, Material Gilt Metal, Material Bead, Process Gilded
- Dimensions
- Diameter: max 38 mm
- Object numbers
- Accession number: 1945.2.09
- Research and responses
Information about the earring from Komal Salman, founder of Folkloristan https://www.folkloristan.com/ a digital platform for preserving Pakistani folklore. 'The earring, Dorr, has so much more cultural significance than being associated with the full costume of women in Balochistan. It is a symbol of womanhood for Baloch women.
Baby girls in Balochistan have their ears pieced when they turn six months old. If the child is weak and might not be able to handle the pain, the family waits until her first birthday.
Designs of the Dorr vary not by tribe but by region. Sapa Jang, Sitara Jang, and Rado Jang are three major types of designs for the Dorr. Little girls start by wearing small earpieces, which are often lighter versions of the Dorr. The average pair worn by an adult woman weighs about 5 tolas (2.5 tolas a piece).
Back in the day, women used to wear multiple pairs at once, attached with gold or silver chains to their hair, to support the weight of the earpieces, and avoid injury to the ears. Thread and cheaper alloys were used to fashion Dorr earrings for women from lower socio-economic classes.
Safe to say, a Baloch woman’s earrings are a silent witness to her entire life; from being a toddler to meeting their Lord in the Hereafter.
Several women in Baloch history and folklore alike, have been at the forefront of wars, sporting a Dorr, a lot like the one displayed in front of you. So who were some of these women? And what are their stories?
Banari Baloch:
In the 14th century, at Sirhind, when Mir Chakkar Khan, allied with the Mughals, faced off with the invading Suri’s from Afghanistan, eighteen of his sons and forty thousand of his soldiers embraced martyrdom. It was then that Banari took the reins, and led her brother’s forces, leading them to victory. This battle marked the re-establishment of Mughal rule in Delhi.
Bibi Bebo and Bano:
In the late 1600s, the Khanate of Kalat and the Barozais of Sibi were at war with one another. After several unsuccessful campaigns by Mir Ahmad Khan, his sister, Bibi Bano, led her tribesmen to war. She fell as a martyr during battle. However, her niece, and Mir Ahmad’s daughter, Bibi Bano, led the charge against the Barozais a few years later and emerged victorious. She conquered Sibi and took control of the fort.
Bibi Chaguli:
The widow of Mir Pahar Khan, the Sardar of Lasbela, ruled in his stead as a female sovereign. Despite opposition from her brother-in-law, who plotted to exert a greater influence on state affairs, she dealt with him tactfully. Her wisdom, along with the respect she commanded, ensured a prosperous reign until her passing.
Bibi Ganjan:
The wife of Mir Mehrab Khan, the last Khan of Kalat, deposed by the British in 1839, was not only his advisor but also fought alongside her husband, attempting to push back at colonial advances.
Kalat fell against the backdrop of Shah Shuja joining hands with the British to march on Afghanistan and install him as the monarch. Mehrab Khan was killed. History remains silent on Bibi Ganjan’s fate.
Imagine, the Dorr’s worn by each of these women has been privy to so many tales; one can only imagine who this particular pair belonged to, and what her story was' .
Search terms: Ornament, Ear Ornament