Lost Heirloom

Antique Yemenite Coral & Silver Necklace

Name: Antique Yemenite Coral & Silver Necklace
Brand: Lost Heirloom
SKU: LO2442
Price: 250.0 GBP
Availability: InStock

£250.00

"Yemenite legends tell that the first jewelers were goldsmiths. Their origin may date back some 3000 years, when King Solomon started commercial exchanges with the Queen of Sheba. Tradesmen and silversmiths from Judea moved to Yemen, where they continued to work in their professions, e.g. the production of jewelry. Others attribute the origin of Yemenite jewelry to the Jewish tribe of Banu Kianuka, whose members were famous goldsmiths in Medina." *

Either way, the jewellery being produced in Yemen during the first half of the 20th century had a direct, unbroken lineage that stretched back at least 1400 years, if not much, much longer. Compared to the revivalists of Western Europe, who had to re-learn lost styles and techniques by copying artefacts recovered from ancient tombs, the Yemenite tradition is a fascinating, and utterly remarkable, phenomenon.

"The profession of silversmith was highly regarded among the Jewish population [in Yemen]. It was mainoy carried out y members of rich families, erudite men, and mori (rabbi), who passed the knowledge of century-old techniques, and the composition of soldering solutions from father to son, safeguarding the secrets within their families." *

This striking antique Yemenite necklace was made during the early decades of the 20th century. The silver beads feature fine filigree-work that was often inspired by architectural features such as leaded glass windows, and the black beads are formed from black coral with silver inlay. Branches of red coral separate the beads and add a pop of colour, ending with little cannetille-work terminals.

For millenia, Yemen has been an important trading hub on account of its geographical location at an intersection of land and sea routes that connect the East and the West, with Northern Africa just across the sea. By the Middle Ages the ancient port of Hadraumat was described by travellers - notably Ibn Al Mujawir and Marco Polo - as a vibrant, bustling melting pot full of merchants and traders from all around the world. Jewellery is also hard-baked into Yemeni history and culture. Known as Sheba in antiquity, this was a place where gold and silver jewellery could be found in abundance. The jewellers who settled in Yemen incorporated elements - like fine filigree, repoussé-work, and granulation - from far and wide: from the Mediterranean and the Balkans to North Africa to India and yet further east. By the early 20th century two families rose to prominence, each with their own super-star jewellers: the Bawsani and the Badihi.

"The demand for jewelry or other silver objects was enormous, and silversmiths did not suffer from competition. In Sana'a alone, up to 300 silversmiths co-habited, each developing its own niche, making solely one type of decorative ornament for many years... In Dhamar (south-western Yemen), one third of the Jewish male population was involved in jewelry making, while in Habban (South-East of Yemen), the whole male population worked as silversmiths. They manufactured ornaments for their own Jewish people, as well as for the Muslim urban, rural or nomadic populations." *

*Excerpts from 'Introduction to Yemenite Jewish silversmiths (sayegh) in Yemen before Operation "Magic Carpet"', Esther van Praag, Ph.D.

Era: Antique, circa 1920

Length: 24 inches

Stones: Red Coral & Black Coral

Marks: None, tested as silver

Condition: Good antique condition, appears to have been re-strung quite recently

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Antique Yemenite Coral & Silver Necklace

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