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3 pieces - head ornament made of one cap and two side pieces that attach at the sides.
20th century
Object Name: Head ornament
Period: 20th century
Date: 1900-1999
Provenance: Bahrain
Dimensions: 34.7cmx21.5cm 62.5cmx5.5cm
Medium: gold,gemstone,pearl
Registration Number: QNM.2011.547.1 QNM.2011.547.2 QNM.2011.547.3
Place Of Discovery/Findspot:  Qatar
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3 pieces - head ornament made of one cap and two side pieces that attach at the sides. The cresent shape piece would have rested on the forehead. On each side piece are seven crescents and seven stars. Machine made. This example probably from Bahrain or similar: it is not in the typical Qatari taste. Important element of the bridal jewellery, also worn at Henna night. This is probably from the 1980s. Perhaps machine-made, an imitation of earlier hand-made pieces. Perhaps given as a dowry for the bride. If the groom could not afford this important piece of bridal jewellery, a wealthy family might lend it to her for the wedding.. Selected for display as part of the henna night celebrations rather than the wedding itself, as the henna night became popular in more recenet years (1980s onwards) when families became wealthier, and this piece dates from around that time. Ornate bejeweled head ornament composed of three parts: Head cap (.1) and two long side pieces (.2 and .3).
The head cap (2011.547.1) is a convex disc with a crescent-with-triangle pendant at front and a double-chain with teardrop-shaped hook end at back.
The disc is ornately decorated with a combination of raised hammered domes, punched wire, filigree, and (apparently glass) gems and beads in blue, pink, and white set into floral designs, the largest at center. Teardrop-shaped dangles, each with a central gem and a strand of two (faux) pearls at their tips, hang all the way around the edge of the cap and from the front pendant.
The long side pieces (2011.547.2) and (2011.547.3) each consist of seven floret-shaped elements alternating with seven crescent-shaped elements, all decorated similarly to the cap. The crescents have a teardrop dangle at each end. The side pieces attach to loops on the left and right edges of the cap with a simple hook soldered onto the backs of their top elements.
Some parts of the object appear to be mass-produced, such as the basic shaped plates each element is made from and the "hammered" domes and other applied decorations. The "gems" are glued in place with excess glue and have the appearance of glass or plastic. The pearls are revealed to be plastic or similar material with a pearlescent coating when viewed under the microscope.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT QATAR
The Qatar Peninsula is surrounded by sea except in the south where it connects with its neighbours from the Arabian Peninsula. For hundreds of years people have shared the land, resources and knowledge inherited from their environment. With no fixed lifestyle in terms of time and place, people moved easily and freely between land and sea for trade, livestock, pearl diving, fishing, and hunting at various times throughout the year. This symbiotic relationship between the people and their environment was represented in the unity of their societies, including the exchange of knowledge, stories and the trading of available goods.

A distinctive characteristic of life on the Qatar Peninsula has long been the close association between the coast and the desert – al barr. Some desert tribes spent several months of the year in coastal cities, setting up semi-permanent residences to participate in pearl diving or fishing. Similarly, coastal residents occasionally moved to al barr during the winter to graze their livestock. This exchange of natural resources and the influence of different environments has contributed to the creation of a unique community.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT - REGION/GULF/WORLD
The presence of British, French and Dutch trading companies in the Gulf from the early 1600s brought uncertainty to the region, with unstable alliances and intense competition over trade routes. As trade flourished, however, the strength of the Arab tribes increased. Many Arab tribes moved from the interior of the Arabian Peninsula to Qatar, and by the 18th and 19th centuries, most of the major towns of the Gulf were founded. Several towns flourished on the Qatari coast, including Huwailah, Khor Hassan, Fuwairat, Ruwaida, Freiha, Al Bidda and Doha. The most notable was Al Zubara which became a hub for the Gulf pearl trade.
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