Large Antique Handmade Old Silver Yemeni Hirz Pendant M00596

A Large Silver Yemeni Hirz, a Pendant or Amulet, typically used to carry prayers and religious scripts. This one has 4 loops that would be typically attached to a necklace. It is dated to the early to mid-1900s. Size: 111x32.2mm, the loops add about 8mm to  the width Weight: 62g Very good antique condition, with minor denting at the ends as seen in the photo. Weights and sizes are approximate. Yemenite jewelry-making goes back to the biblical Queen of Sheba and her gifts of jewelry to King Solomon. Later Islamic rule in Yemen imposed a prohibition on jewelry making on the Muslim population, and the art of Yemenite silversmithing became exclusively the domain of the Jewish community of Yemen, it is to this community we owe the exquisite pieces of silver jewelry from Yemen. This art was passed from generation to generation. Today, however, the art of Yemenite silversmithing is in decline. Only a handful of Jewish silversmiths remain in Yemen. Most Jewish families are now in Israel, but f