Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The Art of Heritage Group (AHG) is showcasing for the first time an array of traditional jewelry and jewelry representing the various regions of Saudi Arabia at the National Museum of Bahrain. The exhibition that started on Monday will run until March 31, 2019.

This is the first ever display of the unique pieces of jewelry and a rare collection of hundreds of years of gold and silver jewelry outside Saudi Arabia.

Princess Basma Bint Majed, member of the Board of Directors of the Art of Heritage, said the presentation of this rare collection took a long time and years of research, surveying and processing of some of these pieces for rehabilitation and restoration under the supervision of specialists and experts to be documented and maintained especially as they represent various cities, villages, and tribes in different regions of the Kingdom and the Arabian Peninsula.

Princess Basma pointed out that their participation in Bahrain comes after it is being recently selected as the Capital of Islamic Culture and Heritage for the year 2018. She added, “Also because the two kingdoms are representing unity over the years, which made us keen to be present in the Bahrain National Museum.”

The event was to be inaugurated by Sheikha Thajiba Bint Salman Al-Khalifa in Manama.

Director of the Art of Heritage Sumaya Badr said they are keen to offer rare jewelry that will have a positive impact in the hearts of everyone and passed on to generation after generation through the diversity of cultures in the Arabian Peninsula and Saudi Arabia from south, north, east and west, which led to the mixing of cultures over hundreds of years.

She confirmed that more than 300 pieces will be displayed, representing different regions of the Kingdom.

Badr pointed out that the rare pieces of ornaments are a cultural heritage for its owners who collected them over many years.

She revealed that the owners of this endowment are Princess Sara Al-Faisal, Princess Moudhi Bint Khalid Bin Abdulaziz, Princess Haifa Al-Faisal, and Princess Basma.

The AHG, previously known as The Heritage Center, houses a vast collection of traditional textiles, garments, carpets, jewelry, artifacts, doors and other material objects important to the culture, tradition, heritage, and history of Saudi Arabia.

AHG’s larger objective is to preserve and protect Saudi heritage and to disseminate information on its rich and diverse culture and traditions, both within the Kingdom and to the outside world.