Oman- Telling stories through jewellery

(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Jewellery designer Muna al Khusaibi wishes to revive the long lost art of Omani storytelling through jewellery.

'If you look into the history of Oman and its culture there was always some sort of story inscribed in the jewellery' she says. The design on Omani jewellery may seem like a simple work of art but it usually has heavy undertones of symbolism. 'It could be a protective charm to ward off the evil eye' she says while giving an example.

Muna's recent collection Karam which was exhibited at the Bait al Zubair Gallery brings out the storyteller in her.  

'Every single piece has a story to tell' says the designer about her collection. What inspired her creations are the celestial elements of the night sky the moon and the stars.

How she describes the making of these intricate designs brings her closer to her goal of weaving stories of tradition in her collection.

'In the darkest night of the desert the stars appear glittering in the sky with the romance of the moonlight dangling down like an extraordinary unique necklace' read the opening lines of the introduction to her collection. This poetry is there to see in the delicate and chunky gold and silver jewellery pieces that are encrusted with pearls and precious stones.

Muna's foray into commercial jewellery designing is a humble story and yet an inspiring one for home-based entrepreneurs. Her business spun out of a hobby when she designed jewellery for family and friends. Encouraged by friends who thought her designs had a mass appeal she worked towards becoming an entrepreneur.

She undertook courses in the sultanate and in Kuwait to polish her skills and established the brand Kidani which blends traditional with the trendy.

This year she won patronage of the Direct Support Programme of Zubair Small Enterprises Centre  and went ahead to become a success story among women entrepreneurs in the jewellery business.

The storytelling does not end here for Muna. She wants to one day fit the magnitude of the places in Oman into her designs.

'Inshallah someday I would love to base the stories of my collection on the mighty mountains the wadis and the beautiful landscapes in my country.'