Jewellery from the Orient: Treasures from the Dr. Bir Collection Hardcover – February 16, 2010

Let me begin by saying that I have traveled in a number of the countries covered by this book, and own an extensive library on the jewelry of these countries. This book contains some objects which I have never before seen, and others for which I had never known the names.This book is a delight for the eyes, as well as the intellect. The quality of the photography, and of the items shown rivals that of the A World Of...series about the Ghysels family Collection, but the text is far more informative.Not only are magnificent examples displayed, but also the accompanying text is both scholarly, and readable. All items are identified as to source, and use, and in most cases, the tranliterated name for the object is provided as well.The material is presented by geographical region, with the dates and locations of the collector's trips listed. The photos of the objects are supplemented by photos taken at the various locations, showing landscapes, town streets, and village markets.Each object is numbered, and that number appears in the margin by the paragraph in which the object is being discussed, making it easy to find the referenced photo.This book is a worthy addition to the library of anyone interested in jewelry of the Orient, as well as a superb introducion to this area of study for the novice.However, I do have two criticisms as to the content of the book:Firstly, an extensive Bibliography is provided with some excellent references, but it does not include any of the works by Heather Colyer Ross, who has written extensively on the jewelry of the Arabian Peninsula, not does it include Arab and Islamic Silver by Saad Al-Jadir.Secondly, and more glaring, the Bibliography includes Silver Jewellery of Oman by Jehan Rahab, which is fraught with errors and omissions, and does not include Oman Adorned- A Portrait in Silver by Dr. Miranda Morris and Pauline Shelton which is the quintessential book on Omani Jewelry.There is also a collation error on the part of the publisher. The introduction to the portion on India appears on pages 124 and 125, in the middle of the section on Yemen. The section on India begins on page 140, absent any introducion.All this said, this is a magnificent book, well worth owning.

I quite like the book but giving it only four stars for the following reasons:1) a couple of pictures are blurry/not good quality - a flaw you wouldn't have expected to see in a book like this.2) a lot of pieces are made to be worn with traditional costume. I think the book would've benefited greatly from pictures showing how these pieces were supposed to be worn. Alternatively, if not pictures, just a brief explanation would've helped. You look at some pieces and you've got no idea what they are, and the book doesn't give you a clear idea either.

I am not an expert in this field; but I know lovely books and often turn to this title as a gift. It has never failed to be enthusiastically appreciated by the recipient. I often sit and enjoy my own copy.

Book arrived damaged, it was soaking wet from water .

A previous reviewer complained that the author had not sufficiently acquainted himself with recent scholarship on Oman, but what is far more odd is that a book called "Jewellery from the Orient" has in fact no material on Oman at all, thus making the reviewer's comment on this matter in effect pointless. There is, in fact, a disconcerting amount of Oriental material NOT presented in this book. However, that is my only major reservation, and it isn't actually that important if the merits of what IS done are considered. There is a very substantial degree of coverage of several important and interesting cultures, and unlike many books with general titles, such as *The Splendour of Ethnic Jewellery*, this is not primarily a coffee table book with captions but without much researched documentation to back it. On the contrary, the amount of research is exceptional, which is a very strong feature of this work. Furthermore, there are a good many pieces represented which are old, very attractive, authentically representative of the cultures chosen, in often very good condition, and in not a few cases hard to obtain. The book is thus not only a pleasure to consult and learn from, but can be used for genuine, informative reference. There are, for example, quite a few pieces which I would like to own, and which in principle my wife Truus Daalder would have been happy to include in her *Ethnic Jewellery and Adornment* (although that is already a very large book indeed!). We share this author's overall notion of what a book on ethnic jewellery, if it is to be of real use to others, should do. I recommend the book for the good work it does, so long as a buyer understands that "Jewellery from the Orient" is not the best title to indicate what is included and excluded.

This book gives heaps of information about this interesting subject!!Many pictures! What a beautiful collection the Bir collection is!

Dieses Buch stellt eine sehr umfangreiche Schmucksammlung vor. Es wird jedes Stück sehr gut vorgestellt. Auch die Bilder sind sehr sehenswert. Das Buch existiert in deutscher und englischer Sprache. Für Sammler ist es ein gutes Nachschlagewerk. Zu der Sammlung gibt es eine Ausstellung im Museum für Völkerkunde zu Leipzig