Wedding ornament

Museum number:

9-23815

Permalink:

ark:/21549/hm21090023815

Alternate number:

157d (previous number (collector's original number))

Accession number:

Acc.4812

Object count:

1

Description:

This is a very old well-made piece which must have been very handsome when new. It is made of a formerly red cotton print, a white cotton lining, goat hair fringe on top, and leather panel with flaps on the bottom. The cotton body is 13" long and is neatly sewn to its lining. Goat hair fringe has a twined, colored base and is held upright by stitches running through the tops. Cowrie shells form a grid on the body of the piece. Other cloth was appliqued in parts of the grid, with cowrie shells sewn over some of it. The open appliqued areas have mostly worn off. Buttons with circles of white glass beads have been randomly sewn on to mimic the pattern in the print. The two 1/4" leather panel on the bottom was twined with very fine leather strips 1/16" wide. Lead beads form wavy lines, creating diamond shapes. The flaps are of plaiting, twining, and braids, 5.5" long, are decorated with lead beads, cowrie shells, and some incised mother-of-pearl (?) shells. Z-ply. 10 EPI in leather twining.

Donor:

Joy Hilden

Collection place:

Shabaha, Saudi Arabia

Verbatim coll. place:

Um Ustaid settlement outside Shabaha, Saudi Arabia

Culture or time period:

Bedouin

Maker or artist:

Sweilmeh of Jahena tribe

Collector:

Joy Hilden

Collection date:

15 July 1994

Object type:

ethnography

Function:

2.2 Personal Adornments and Accoutrements

Production date:

c.1974-1944

Accession date:

2019

Department:

Cat. 9 - Asia (incl. Russia east of Urals)

Dimensions:

whole— length 23 inches and whole— circumference 10 inches

Images: