SALALAH — In the picturesque Dhofar governorate and its wilayats, tradition thrives in nooks and crannies. And the residents are doing their bit to make sure that ancient practices are kept alive — be it in their way of life or through their occupation.

On a visit to frankincense land, Times of Oman zeroed in on the municipality recreational centre, to meet some women who engaged in two of these traditional occupations —
saviac and pottery making.

While saviac and pottery have, in the past, been used as household objects, today, their appeal is more aesthetic — they are mostly used for decorating homes.

Al safiat, made from palm leaves (Al kous), catches the eye for sheer variety of form and colour. Once a part of daily life, being used for eating, drinking and a host of other things, Al safiat is a part of Oman’s heritage. No wonder, women well-versed in the craft are now teaching their daughters the art of making Al safiat.

Woven out of palm frond, Al safiat is used for making Al hassier (carpet), Al selal (basket), Al tefal or Al kifaiah (mat), Al kafaf, Al jeriat and several other things. Leather is used in some of the items.

One such Al safiat expert, is Soadah Rajab Jumaan. Hailing from the wilayat of Marbat, she has mastered the art of making circular food mats, called tefal and Al kifaiah. The difference between the two is only of size — while the smaller disc is called Al kifaiah, the larger one is called tefal.

“Though they were widely used in the past, Al tefal and Al kifaiah are steadily being replaced by plastic mats and tables,” she says.

Once the palm leaves are picked, they are left to dry in the sun for two to four days. For painting, basic colours are preferred. “We use red, green and blue. It takes anything between three days and a week to finish one product,” Soadah informs.

Handmade

Al jeriah maker Tefol Salem Saeed adds that though some tools do come in handy to make the products, it’s mostly manually done: “Sharp stones or bones are used as sewing needles, scissors and containers for the colours, but usually we use only our hands to create the items”.

Locally called qaly, Al jeriah is used for drinking,
especially milk. “Al jeriah is not expensive, the price ranges between RO3 and RO7 according to size,” Tefol says.

The other craft that is prevalent here, is pottery making. The beautiful earthenware called Al mjmar, has a square base supported by four columns in each corner, and a square centre to hold the coal, on which
frankincense (Al bukhr) is sprinkled.

Says Fatma Rajab, who has been making mjmars, for years now, “The Al bukhr industry is linked to the Al mjmar trade. The mutual relationship between the two is ancient.” The art is all the more important, since Al mjmar is required in every Dhofari house.

“It is vital to have Al mjmars when there is a special event like a wedding,” she says. Behind the delicate beauty of Al mjmars, is a lot of hard work. Fatma explains, “Mjmars are made of clay. We ferry the clay all the way down from the mountains and then pound it until it becomes a powder like flour.

Then, we add a little water to it and leave it to dry for a day or two. This is how the raw material is prepared.

“The manufacturer chooses a certain form, which we then follow, using sharp objects like knives and, of course, our hands. After the shape is determined, we make inscriptions on it and put it in the oven to make sure it is hard. Once the ceramic is ready, we paint it in bright colours.”

And so, the simple yet beautiful crafts that originated centuries ago, continue to take shape in little pockets of the country, thanks to its residents who want, more than anything, to keep their tradition alive.