Interpreting the Traditional Jewellery of Bedouin in Oman through Contemporary Jewellery Practice

Although traditional Omani jewellery is considered to be one of the invaluable crafts in the cultural heritage of the Sultanate, contemporary jewellery has been overlooked. Omani traditional jewellery has maintained the same designs for centuries. The market for this jewellery has decreased significantly. Previous studies dealt with traditional Omani jewellery only as objects. The women’s role in the production of traditional Omani jewellery has not been investigated before. The leather parts of Omani traditional jewellery are generally overlooked in previous studies. The aim of this research is to understand the subjective values associated with Omani traditional jewellery, based on the knowledge acquired from oral interviews with Bedouin women who are both makers and wearers of this jewellery. The study then seeks to interpret this traditional Bedouin jewellery through contemporary jewellery practice. The methodology employed in this study is practice-based research that builds on knowledge developed through fieldwork. The study involved both ethnographic and auto-ethnographic research. Fieldwork undertaken in Oman explored the role of women in the production of traditional Omani jewellery and identified 14 subjective values in traditional Bedouin jewellery. The fieldwork revealed a previously unexplored area of the use of eco-leather in traditional Omani jewellery. The interaction with the Bedouin women enabled the recording of traditional craft processing techniques and production of sample material. The fieldwork supported the development of a co-creation group with women craft practitioners for the production of new forms of jewellery drawing on Omani cultural traditions and materials. The fieldwork led to the formation of a co-creation group of craft practitioners. This, in turn, led to experiments using traditional techniques with novel materials facilitating the production of new forms of jewellery which draw on Omani cultural traditions and techniques. The insights gained from this research led to the development of a body of contemporary jewellery under the following themes- Jewellery and materials, Jewellery and mixed cultures; Jewellery and social practice, Jewellery and recycling and sustainability, and Jewellery and technology.