Page 33 - DILMUN 9

Maya's treasure troves. The British Embassy A model pearling dhow, lent by Ebrahim
lent an old chart of the pearling banks of the Eshaq, which was complete with miniature
Gulf. Photographs of the divers taken on board divers and crew, attracted the attention of
the pearling dhows and the equipment they young visitors.
wore - nose clips, leather finger and toe guards,
the string basket worn round the neck for DHOW - BUILDING
gathering shells and the lead weights for the
ankles - were of great interest. We were lent Dhows, with dhow-building, is a general term
several examples of the carved boxes used by the used by non-Bahrainis for the sailing craft of the
captains to house the pearls. These varied in Gulf. This section included several splendid
style from a plain reeded design in pale wood to examples of model boats lent by H.E. the
ornately carved mahogany boxes with fitted Minister of Education Shaikh Abdulaziz
drawers and trays. Mohammed, Hassan Al-Mchri, Khalid Zayani,
Jennifer Fletcher etc. The Museum is pro­
Pearl merchants’ equipment included sets of moting this craft and Mrs. Fletcher’s model was
brass sieves for grading the pearls, delicate scales mended by their resident craftsman especially for
in specially made boxes and beautiful sets of the Exhibition.
agate and bronze weights.
The fine set of photographs of boat builders
A Bahraini member, who had brought other included a non-Bahraini carpenter, a fact
items to the Exhibition, on seeing us arranging commented on by many visitors but which was
this section exclaimed, “ You need oyster shells audaciously included by the President to point
and pearls ! ” and went straight home to get the fact that Bahrainis arc drifting away from
some for us.
their indigenous crafts. H. E. Shaikh Hamed,
The glass-topped showcases, on loan from their Heir Apparent, is now encouraging the
Al-Hcdaya School, enabled us to display valu­ young generation to return to boat building by
able items safely. providing educational opportunities for them.

The dhow section showing a beautifully made
and fitted pearling boat with ?nodel divers and
crew.
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