HvWO 093I

Antique Omani silver thorn tweezer / thorn pick holder in the shape of a knife
!
silver tweezer

Very rare Omani silver manqash. Omani men are not supposed to wear jewelry, however they are allowed to wear weapons, hence weapons were adorned to become a form of jewellery!

The slide-show contains photos of the following examples:

a)  A very fine steel/brass tweezer in a silver embroidered holder in the shape of a knife

b) An empty silver tweezer holder in the shape of a 16th cent gun

c) An empty silver tweezer holder octagonal in shape

                             d) A silver tweezer on a chain

The length including the eye of the tweezers on the first photo is 8 cm.

Antiuque Omani silver tweezer

 Omani antique silver tweezer

Arab Name: Manqash (ref 2: Carter)

Period: 1850-1950

Origin: Oman (maybe Ibri)

    References
  1. Oman Adorned by Pauline Shelton  Robert Richmond / Apex London 1997 p 193
  2. Carter Tribes in Oman p 168
  3. Traditional silver jewelry and handicrafts from Oman 2009 by Jean Greffioz p 139  (but no embroidered silver)
  4. British Museum has a more modern example in their on-line collection number 2009.6023.203 tweezers length 7 cm Sheath 5 cm. Set of silver tweezers and picks (menqash or munqash) for men, with a small silver sheath. Hung from chains and usually worn by a man on his belt. Decorated with chased patterns including circles, hatched lines and lozenges
  5. Oman and its Renaissance  by Sir Donald Hawley Stacey International London 1987 page 139 photo with similar item