Elegant women's "labbeh" necklace, used as bridal jewelry or for festive events. Sana'a, Yemen, [first half of 20th century].
Silver, gilt and filigree; glass.
The labbeh necklace represented the quintessential masterwork of the Jewish silversmiths of Sana'a; it was one of the distinctive trademarks of Sana'a's Jewish women. This piece of jewelry was presented to the bride as a gift either by her father or her bridegroom in time for her wedding, and was worn on the chin on the wedding day, during celebrations associated with childbirth, and at other festive events. Owing to its distinctive form – tiny, three-dimensional filigree links that create something resembling a net – the necklace is also sometimes referred to as a "labbeh shabk," that is, a net-like labbeh.
The long pendants consist of very small links in the shape of flowers, droplets, diamonds, spheres, and a crescent. In addition, there are short pendants of a type known as "awl" ("child"), that give the labbeh an additional name – "labbeh mi'wla " (i.e., "multiple children") – a term suggestive of the true purpose of marriage, namely the fulfillment of the mitzvah of procreation. Most of the tiny pendants are inlaid with minute glass beads. At the edge of the necklace, next to the clasp, are two large links in the shape of elongated hearts.
42X16 cm.
References: The Yemenites, Two Thousand Years of Jewish Culture, pp. 128-29; Ma'ase Rokem, pp. 89-102; the Hebrew-language website of the Association for Society and Culture, Documentation and Research of Yemenite Jews: teman.org.il.