Traditional Crafts of Saudi Arabia

Book excerpt: This is a new issue of an acknowledged classic in the field of Saudi Arabian desert crafts. With new photographs and updated text, it has already become the standard work for a new generation of Arabian enthusiasts. Covering the costumes, equipment, and artefacts of the Bedouin of Saudi Arabia, it examines the work of jewellery makers, leather workers, basket weavers, carpenters and metal workers, with stunning colour photographs to illustrate each example. In the engaging text, written by experts in the field, we get a real sense of the traditional lifestyle and ethnology of this enigmatic people. The majority of the costumes, jewellery and weavings shown in this book belong to John Topham, whose important collection has been exhibited throughout the USA and Arabia.