History of Silver in Oman

Silver Jewellery of Oman" by Jehan S. Rajab is the result of a number of years of research into a collection of Omani silver jewellery in the Tareq Rajab Museum, Kuwait. Jehan and Tareq Sayid Rajab spent months driving around the Sultanate of Oman collecting the pieces. They discussed them with silversmiths and other interested people in Nizwa, Muscat, Sur as ell as towns and villages throughout that beautiful country.

The fascinating thing about the Arabian peninsula is its diversity, not only in landscapes which varies enormously, but that its jewellery styles also differ. although there are obviously overlaps in general it is easy to tell a Saudi Arabian from an Omani or a Yemeni piece. Oman possessed and still possess some of the most skilled silversmiths in Arabia. Hopefully they will adapt to the changes that have taken place and continue to produce jewellery of such interest and beauty.

Silver the Traditional Art of Oman

A people’s craft carries the visual clues to a people’s character. and of all its crafts, Oman’s silversmithing tells us of the qualities of those people responsible for it — their taste, their artistry, their skills of workmanship, standards of finish, passion for design in all their artifacts.

Silver is the most natural medium for a nation of ocean-going merchants. What Omanis have for centuries fabricated with their silver tells half their social history — of marriage rites, martial styles, cosmetics and titivation, and of course, personal adornment.

It is no wonder that for the collector of artifacts Omani silver is so prized. And no surprise, also, that - in an age of global mass-manufacture — the silversmiths’ craft in Oman is so venerated and sustained with such vigour.

Ruth Hawley has known and loved the country for over a quarter of a century, and no greater expert exists in the range, style, and technique of Omani silver. Silver: the Traditional Art of Oman is not only invaluable to the collector, but an informing commentary for all those who have learnt to know and delight in Oman.

Sotheby's Tries to Leave oman-Silver Dispute

Sotheby's in New York filed a motion yesterday in State Supreme Court in Manhattan requesting that it be dismissed from a two-year-old suit over 14 pieces of ancient Roman silver called the Sevso treasure.
After Sotheby's announced it would sell the treasure for its British owner, Lord Northampton, in February 1990, the Governments of Lebanon and Yugoslavia claimed title to the silver and obtained a preliminary injunction barring its removal from the United States for sale in Switzerland. Since then, the Government of Hungary has also filed a title claim for the silver, which is being held by Sotheby's pending settlement of the case.
"We have requested to be discharged because no claim has been brought against Sotheby's in that action, and Sotheby's has never had an ownership interest in the silver," said Marjorie E. Stone, Sotheby's lawyer. "The consignment agreement between Sotheby's and the Trustee of Northampton Settlement expired on Dec. 31 1991. Sotheby's has notified the trustee that it has no intention of renegotiating that agreement or selling the property."