Antique Omani Bedouin Traditional Shabka Headdress

Description

This traditional Omani Bedouin ladies' headdress is called "shabka".  It is made of strips of goat leather, woven together with silver applique, and decorated with coin silver and sometimes glass beads.
This headdress would be worn under a shawl or veil and was made individually for the wearer.  It would also have a neckpiece, an example of which is shown in the last photo (the neckpiece is sold separately).
The weight of the headdress is 472g. It fits an average ladies' head.
The headdress is old and shows age-appropriate wear.  Please see the photos for detail.
This type of headdress would typically be worn for major ceremonies and weddings.  This design is typical for the end of the 19th century through the mid-20th century.  Similar pieces can be seen in the Omani collection of the British Museum (online collection number 2010.6003.1), and documented in a number of publications on ethnic Omani Jewelry, e.g. in Oman Adorned by Shelton, Richmond, and Morris (1997, Apex)
A rare piece we are fortunate to offer to you.
This listing is for the headdress only.  The neckpiece, shown in the last photo, is offered in a separate listing.  Please search our store for "Omani headdress neckpiece" or items M0074, M00575, M00576 to find it available neckpieces.
DISCLAIMER: The piece has not been tested for silver or gold composition,  however, Omani silver is traditionally of very high silver content (and pieces like Maria Theresa thalers are of a known high silver content).  Traditionally, high karat gold leaf was used to enhance silver jewelry, and this certainly appears to be the case for this traditional piece as well.
UNCONDITIONAL GUARANTEE: We stand by our products.  You can return any piece for any reason in the original condition for a full refund within 30 days of purchase.  Please contact us if you need to return an item.   Please see our Policies for more detail.
COLORS: Our photos are taken in different lighting in an attempt to show how beads look in different lighting conditions. We make every effort to show colors as accurately as possible. The white background photos are taken in daylight conditions. The black background photos are taken in the strong lab light and would be representative of what they would look like in the evening electric light. Some of the photos are backlit to emphasize their translucency. Note that monitor settings strongly affect the way the colors look. What you see on your monitor may differ from what you see with a naked eye depending on your monitor settings.
WE COMBINE SHIPPING and will refund any overage. Contact us when placing the order and we will work with you to ensure the best available shipping cost.