Stunning Muslim Jewelry

This handsomely illustrated publication of the Bead Society of Greater Washington serves as a companion book to the exhibition "Silver Speaks: Traditional Jewelry of the Middle East," co-curated by Ellen N. Benson and Marjorie Ransom, shown at The Bead Museum in Washington, D.C., October 27, 2002, to August 26, 2003. The book extends the show's reach and enhances understanding of the rich cross-cultural heritage represented in these age-old forms of personal adornment.

More than 50 photographs by Dr. Robert K. Liu, co-editor of Ornament magazine render in exquisite detail the beauty and diversity of traditional jewelry from Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Egypt. Drawn from the collection of Marjorie Ransom, who assembled the pieces over three decades as a student and diplomat in the Arab world, these eloquent silver ornaments are an enduring testament to a way of life that is disappearing in the rapidly evolving Middle East.

The book presents these treasures in the context of that traditional way of life. Author Joyce Diamanti tells the story of the women who wore them and the men who made them-Muslims, Jews, and Christians-people who lived settled lives in cities, towns, and villages, as well as itinerant traders and craftsmen, and nomadic Bedouin who roamed these arid regions in search of pasture for their herds. In surveying local and regional jewelry traditions, she examines the many exotic influences that throughout history have impacted and shaped personal adornment in this crossroads of continents and cultures.