Siwa: Jewelry, Costume, and Life in an Egyptian Oasis by Margaret Mary Vale (Eng

Description: Siwa by Margaret Mary Vale, Margaret M. Vale Siwa is a remote oasis deep in the heart of the Egyptian desert near the border with Libya. Until an asphalt road was built to the Mediterranean coast in the 1980s, its only links to the outside world were by arduous camel tracks. As a result of this isolation, Siwa developed a unique culture manifested in its crafts of basketry, pottery, and embroidery and in its styles of costume and silverwork. The most visible and celebrated example of this was the silver jewelery that was worn by women in abundance at weddings and other ceremonies. Based on conversations with women and men in the oasis and with reference to old texts, this book describes the jewelery and costume at this highpoint of Siwan culture against the backdrop of its date gardens and springs, social life, and dramatic history. It places the womens jewelery, costume, and embroidery into social perspective, and describes how they were used in ceremonies and everyday life and how they were related to their beliefs and attitudes to the world.The book also describes how, in the second half of the twentieth century, the arrival of the road and of television brought drastic change, and the oasis was exposed to the styles and fashions of the outside world and how the traditional silver ornaments were gradually replaced by gold. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Author Biography Margaret M. Vale has an MA in social anthropology from the University of London. She has traveled extensively and lived for long periods in the Middle East, where she studied and collected desert jewelry and textiles. In Egypt she developed an interest in Siwan life and culture and has lived in the oasis and visited it regularly. Table of Contents Introduction 1. North African Jewelry and Textiles The Oasis 2. History and Tradition 3. The Oasis of Siwa 4. Camels and Cargoes 5. Siwa Town 6. The World of Women Yesterday 7. Motifs and Magic 8. Marriage Yesterday 9. The Jewelry of Siwa 10. Silver Ornaments and Colored Beads 11. The Silversmiths 12. From Silver to Gold Today 13. Everyday and Festive Dress 14. Wedding Costumes 15. The Wedding: Betrothal, Trousseau, and Marriage Payment 16. The Wedding: Preparations 17. The Wedding: Ceremonies 18. Winds of Change Glossary Motifs and Meanings Notes Bibliography Index Details ISBN9774166817 Publisher The American University In Cairo Press Year 2015 ISBN-10 9774166817 ISBN-13 9789774166815 Media Book Format Paperback Author Margaret M. Vale Short Title SIWA Language English Imprint The American University in Cairo Press Place of Publication Cairo Country of Publication Egypt DEWEY 916.22 Illustrations 99 bw integrated, 35 colour in 16pp plates Pages 248 Subtitle Jewelry, Costume, and Life in an Egyptian Oasis Audience General/Trade Publication Date 2015-04-19 UK Release Date 2015-04-19 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:137986753;

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