JAMBIYA for COMMENT (Thankyou Santa)

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Salaams Ibrahiim, Bad description on my part as I am well aware that Yemen and Oman border eachother. The comment was purely stating that this is not from the Hadhramaut interior, but from the coastal regions. I have not anywhere suggested that this Jambiya came from Oman.
As to the comment about fakes---I do not see what this has to do with the present thread, as this is definately GENUINE.
I do realise that there are those who are turning out modern copies of Jambiya, some very good ones, but these at best are only replicas, and at worst, fakes designed to trap unwary buyers.
Lets get back to the subject in hand

Salaams kahnjar1~ My letter was unfinished so Ive modified it... Good point . I think the hilt is bull horn which is still very acceptable. Unless it is one of the light jades/onyx?... Either way it looks ok. Salalah or Dhofar rather is a fantastic region and I lived there for 6 years mostly in the mountains.. It is quite unlike anywhere else on the Peninsular and carries with it an incredible history and artefacts not to mention the amazing Jebali people themselves who can look pretty daunting dressed only in a loin cloth armed to the teeth and dyed from head to foot in deep purple !

To assist your understanding of Oman I can most highly recommend the quite brilliant book in two volumes;

The Craft Heritage of Oman by Richardson and Dorr published by Motivate Publishing. ISBN 1 86063 158 4

and whilst there is no substitute for living here ~ this incredible publication puts you firmly in the ballpark. I say that not only because about 10 years ago the authors were here photographing artefacts in my fathers shop (Murad al Balooshi) and several pictures star in its volumes...but also in its quality of pictures and definitions.

This is a museum quality research document.

Each volume opens with a quite astonishing large format picture of Hirz ~ They must have selected from hundreds of these and popped up only the finest examples, setting the books standard throughout ~heres one below ~

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.