The art of arabian costume: a saudi arabian profile

Ross, an Australian-born interior designer/decorator who has lived part-time in Saudi Arabia since 1969, is a modern-day Scheherazade who recounts the history, influences, styles, characteristics, ornamentations, techniques, and meanings of the many forms of dress and jewelry worn by the tribes of the Arabian peninsula. In both books her splendid photography depicts the glamor and the exoticism that have captivated Westerners since ancient times, while her graceful prose shows respect for the subject and a sincere desire to preserve the rapidly disappearing traditional costumes few outsiders would otherwise see. There are romantic images of richly embroidered draperies billowing against desert backgrounds, and one can almost hear the tinkling of silver headdresses, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and belts. Emphasis is on women's dress and jewelry, but men's garb is also described. The liberal use of Arabic terms, explained in a glossary, enriches the text, which is further enhanced by delicate drawings. These are the first U.S. editions and fourth revised editions of books that quickly became classics after their initial publication in Switzerland in 1981. These beautiful, reader-friendly volumes complement each other and are both very highly recommended, but if only one can be purchased, it should be The Art of Arabian Costume because it treats the total costume. - Therese D. Baker, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green