Silver Treasures from the Land of Sheba: Regional Styles of Yemeni Jewelry

In Silver Treasures from the Land of Sheba, author Marjorie Ransom has produced a remarkable book of historical scholarship, chronicling a culture not only unknown to most Westerners, but also fast disappearing. But her greatest achievement in this decades long quest is to write a charming, readable book that introduces us to a host of memorable people, from the talented jewelers whose work is becoming a lost art, to the old village women with stories to tell, who bring forth their little daughters to model jewelry for the author's photographs. Marjorie Ransom's encyclopedic knowledge of jewelry styles and regions, coupled with her understanding and cultural sensitivity and obvious respect for the land and the people of Yemen gives her readers an insight obtainable nowhere else. Lavishly illustrated with her own photographs and the stunning photos of jewelry and costumes by Ornament magazine's Robert K. Liu, the book offers hours of pleasure to ethnographers, historians, and most of all, lovers of simply gorgeous jewelry. I look forward to reading the companion volume in which she will discuss the remarkable and vanishing jewelers who create these treasures.

Excellent book. So glad I was able to find a copy. Lots of details and pictures of the beautiful jewelry of Yemen. Highly recommend!!

Anyone who has been to a silver souk in the intriguing country of Yemen knows how intricate and unique the craftsmanship of each hand-made piece is. I so appreciate having this book for its stunning photos and the research that has gone into producing it. A treasure in itself.

This book is a monumental achievement and legacy for the author and for the subject. Marjorie Ransom refers to the Land of Sheba in the title—nice historical touch—but I feel it is important for potential readers to know that this is Yemen. Yes, Yemen, the country over which we fly drones, the country whose threat level the Department of State describes as “extremely high,” and the country to which travel is strongly discouraged. The reader needs this context to be reminded of the common humanity all people share behind the headlines. Yes, terrorists live in Yemen but Yemenis are not terrorists. They are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, families in the daily struggle for food and shelter and the occasional luxury of a fine piece of jewelry, which is the subject this book stunningly catalogues and spreads before us. No, I’m not suggesting you vacation there. I’m suggesting that this book provides a cultural vista you could never experience by traveling to Yemen, regardless of what risk you might be prepared to take. If you google Yemen and follow the links to culture, you will not find a reference—at least I did not—to the remarkable silver jewelry tradition that Marjorie offers for your pleasure. Gaze upon it. Read it. The narrative is as satisfying as vicarious travel can be, all the more so by being absolutely impossible to duplicate. In following Marjorie’s journey, I could only marvel at her singular accomplishment in putting this book together.

Marjorie Ransom has broken new ground with this delightful "coffee table" book. It is far more than just startling pictures of jewelry--it takes the reader into places few have gone and introduces us to women in this tribal society. It goes beyond that, too, offering pictures of the settings, the costumes, the everyday life in Yemen. Since most of the silversmiths are men, they get their fair share, too. Marjorie Ransom has spent many years meticulously researching the dying art of silver working in Yemen, living there, visiting there, traveling to every corner of the land. This book is a tribute to her passion and patience in helping to keep alive an art form that is quickly moving into history. I shall buy several of these books as gifts for very special friends!

This wonderful culmination a fifty-year process of learning and collecting will startle even readers who think themselves conversant with Yemeni silver, a genuinely-unique art form, and with the country of Yemen itself. Casual readers will revel in a brilliantly-produced tome with more than 300 color plates, but serious readers will also benefit from the historical, ethnic, and cultural backdrop of this splendid jewelry and accompanying costumes, most of which were accumulated personally by Marjorie Ransom during her decades in the Middle East. With the insights gleaned as a seasoned, senior Foreign Service Officer, she weaves a tale of beauty and art with economics, religion, commerce, ritual, politics, and geography. The photography alone will astound readers.

This book was still missing in from the books on Yemeni jewelry. Now it's there and I love it. Nice pictures and the text is clear and interesting to read. Well done!

this is a fantastic book with gorgeous photos,many taken by the author, who spent a year researching her book in Yemen. Particularly interesting stories of the Yemeni women's wealth and power (from silver). The silver work is drop-dead gorgeous to boot. Wonderful work.

I thought this such a well thought out book and enjoyed reading it very much. The photographs were beautiful and were shown alongside the text so that you didn't have to interrupt your reading to find the illustrations mentioned in it. The whole time I was reading it, I was filled with a wonderful sense of colour and transported into another world and another age. I just loved it!

Eine schnelle Darstellung der Schmuckstücke. Der Text ist besonders amüsant und hinreißend geschrieben. Es hebt die Erwartung und Lust auf das zweite Buch, was ich fast noch spannender finden könnte. Aber das erste ist schon vollstens zu empfehlen!!!

Very good reading and beautiful photos.

Grande amoureuse de ce magnifique pays où je me suis rendue très souvent, ce livre est une belle présentation des arts que nous pouvions trouver dans les différentes régions yéménites.

Comprehensive & detailed book about the silver jewellery of the ancient land of Yemen. Full colourful pictures of the most intricate & exquisite traditional south Arabian / Yemenite jewellery. The book delves into the history of each type of varied jewellery with the regional differences in each governate.