Review "This beautiful book is a fitting tribute to the rich culture of Yemen, and its people's appreciation of fine craftsmanship. Marjorie Ransom spent three decades collecting Yemeni jewelry, and many months traveling to the remotest regions of Yemen to interview the women who wore it and the silversmiths who made it. The result is an indispensable reference work for specialists, and an enjoyable feast for all who love the region and its culture."--Shelagh Weir, former curator for the Middle East at the British Museum"Marjorie Ransom's Silver Treasures from the Land of Sheba is a superb work, carefully researched and documented. We in Yemen will always be grateful to Marjorie for preserving for us the real character of Yemeni jewelry, keeping the past alive in the present in this true jewel of a book."--Dr.Yusuf Mohammed Abdullah, professor of Archaeology and Epigraphy, University of Sanaa, Yemen"Here is a long-awaited treasure trove. Marjorie Ransom's love of the country, her knowledge of its highways and byways, and her anecdotes about those she meets in her journeyings add a rare and warm dimension to our understanding of this beautiful country and its silver."--Sarah Searight, author ofYemen: Land and People"This inspiring book is the work of a passionate collector, a dedicated researcher, and a patient, sensitive interviewer. Working against difficult odds, Marjorie Ransom found the last knowledgeable sources of information and reveals to the reader not only the story of silver jewelry, but the multicolored mosaic of an elaborate but quickly changing culture."--Shahira Mehrez, researcher, collector, and promoter of traditional Egyptian crafts"Rarely is a research book considered an interesting read outside its particular academic circle. But while author Marjorie Ransom repeatedly refers to Silver Treasures from the Land of Sheba as a "study" this book is much more than that. In her effort to document the dying art of Yemeni jewelry making, she created a tome that is part travel story, part coffee table book and all tribute to the author's passion for a country she has grown to love."Egypt Today"With more than 300 color plates, this lavishly illustrated tome offers a wonderful introduction to Yemeni crafts, touching on embroidery as well as the silversmithing. Marjorie Ransom includes stunning examples (all expertly shot by Robert K. Liu) of a variety of hairpieces, headdresses, necklaces (lazem), earrings, bracelets, belts, swords (jambiya), anklets, and amulets. Luckily for readers, she proves an enthusiastic guide with a very readable and engaging style."--Al Jadid Magazine"As a scholarly document, the book is a useful and timely tool for students of cultures and for people researching their own collections. It will also be of value to dealers needing to make appraisals... As a cultural interpreter and documenter of a dying art form [Marjorie Ransom] has presented a gift to scholars, to fellow collectors and to the society of Yemen itself."--HALI: The International Magazine of Antique Carpet and Textile Art"This book glows with the author's love and respect for the country and people of Yemen, and it does them proud. Everyone who shares her fascination with Yemeni culture will want a copy. It will also be an indispensable reference for collectors and museums."--The Middle East in London"This is a study that could not have been delayed another decade. The book has more than 300 beautiful illustrations, some drawn from the author's extensive collection, and much interesting sociological information on the roles of the different pieces."--Saudi Aramco World; "In her beautifully recorded book Marjorie takes us on a journey from those biblical times, visiting each significant region and showing the styles, cultural reactions to the environment and society which are reflected in the nuances of style shown in her collection." Ethnic Jewels Magazine; "This is a handsome, beautifully photographed and profoundly researched tribute to the superb tradition of Yemeni Silver jewelry." Sarah Searight, Asian Affairs About the Author Marjorie Ransom is a Middle East specialist who has lived and worked throughout the Arab World, where she began researching and collecting traditional silver jewelry, particularly from Yemen. Her renowned collection of Middle Eastern jewelry has been exhibited at American museums.
A**R
A beautiful tribute to a vanishing craft.
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.
C**S
An unmissable treat!
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!
R**D
A wonderful book ..well written and researched
I am so happy to have this wonderful book.The community members at www.ethnicjewels.ning.com have discussed the information which this book provides and the consensus from all of the owners is that it is a reference book provides great images and in depth understanding of the adornments of this important region.Sarah Corbett
M**R
Five Stars
Beautifully illustrated book with numerous photos very recommended for all lovers of silver jewellery.
A**R
Three Stars
A good book for those interested.
C**H
Five Stars
A wonderful celebration of Yemeni silver. Thank you
F**O
Four Stars
Very interesting.
L**A
empfehlenswert
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!!!
M**A
Five Stars
~*Fabulous*Book*~!!!
J**M
bien reçu
l'art dans le monde de recevoir un ouvrage qu'on ne trouve pas facilement dans sa propre rue, alors valn, on tape amazon, c'est ainsi
S**A
Fabulous
A gem in the ethnic jewelry books world!The most wonderful and exhaustive introduction to Yemeni adornment and jewelry. Highly recommended!
S**S
One Star
Fascinating and beautiful illustrations
P**A
Magical look into the secret lives of women!
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!
S**S
This Book is a Treasure in Itself
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.
D**R
Gorgeous Photos, Remarkable Insight
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.
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