Museum review

Exploring the Traditional Jewellery House at al-Shindagha Museum

Published November 20, 2025

Introduction to the Traditional Jewellery House

Al-Shindagha Museum in Dubai is a cultural village unlike any other, with 22 beautifully curated houses nestled along the historic Dubai Creek. I introduced the museum itself in this blog – in this post, I take you inside one of its most engaging exhibitions: the Traditional Jewellery House. This house is part of the museum’s wider effort to document life, trade and culture in the Emirates, through material objects and immersive storytelling.

While I’ll dive deeper into the history and meanings of Emirati jewellery in a separate post, this visit is all about how jewellery is presented within the museum experience – and what that tells us about culture, memory and community.

Adornment in Emirati culture: jewellery for men and women

This exhibit starts by challenging a long-standing stereotype: that jewellery is the domain of women only. Side by side, a woman’s belt (hiqb) and a men’s ornate dagger (khanjar) and belt illustrate this similarity. I liked that the museum challenges the notion that adornment is only for women from the start.

The gold belt is a personal piece, a present from a proud father to a daughter on her day of graduation from high school – a wonderful first glimpse into the many meanings of jewellery.

Pearls, craftmanship and trade

The next room is dedicated to pearls, trade, jewellery craftmanship and global trade routes that brought precious materials to the Gulf. It beautifully contextualizes the maker-side of jewellery, which is as much a part of jewellery’s history as the wearing-side of it.

Then, a wall-sized map points out where the main materials to make jewellery with, came from, illustrating the interconnectivity of cultures. You know I love distribution maps, so this room was a highlight!

Iconic Emirati designs still worn today

The next museum room displays six iconic jewellery pieces, each paired with a postage stamp dedicated to traditional UAE jewellery in 2006. These pieces are all modern creations as they are still available in the Gold Souk today.

As a side note: I could not help but notice that with the murtasha necklace, the long dangling pendants were accidentally mounted with their reverse side facing forward – the dangles consist of graceful 8-shaped links, of which the centre part is decorated with a tiny gold flower. This creates an opulent view, but in the modern piece on display, the links are facing forward and the decoration would rest against the chest.

The room is an introduction into jewellery, and the text panel announces that there is much more and varied jewellery to be seen in the museum. So, onwards we go!

Cultural influences on Emirati jewellery styles

The next room introduces silver jewellery from Oman and explains how this was traded into the UAE, until it was replaced by gold halfway through the 20^th century. This historical link between Oman and the UAE is essential to understand the developing styles of Emirati jewellery. That goes for the cultural influences from Iran and India, too, and this is acknowledged in the previous room, with the iconic pieces, as well. The museum has done a commendable job in taking the time and creating the space to address this connection.

It is too often I see jewellery presented as if its people lived in isolation, as if jewellery suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the form it has today, and as if today’s borders miraculously shape the past. That oversimplifying does not do justice to either the jewellery, or the place that past cultures had as hubs of exchange and trade.

The al-Shindagha Museum takes care to point the underlying dynamic of trade and exchange behind jewellery, and I think that is one of the most valuable lessons to learn about jewellery.

Bridal jewellery in Emirati weddings: customs and reality

From there, the storyline takes us to bridal jewellery: a woman would receive the most important part of her personal jewellery on the day of her wedding. Here, too, the exhibition explains the differences between cultural expectations and everyday reality: not everyone could afford the splendid gold jewellery required, but a bride had to wear it. So, a system of loaning jewellery developed, a practice continuing until this day.

Wearing the tassah: experiencing Emirati bridal adornment

In this room, visitor may try on a replica of traditional bridal attire, the headdress known as tassah. I found that an incredibly valuable experience: not only because the jewellery is spectacular, but also because it is meant to be worn and move in sync with its wearer. In placing the ornament on my head, I got a feeling for how it affects posture as well as a sense of beauty and grace – an experience I would never have had by just looking at a piece.

A glimpse into 1920s Emirati jewellery: a family collection

Through a room with more jewellery styles and ring types, we arrive at the final exhibition room: a full set of jewellery from the 1920s, on loan from a family. I could have spent hours here, pouring over the delicate details of head adornment, necklaces, bracelets, rings, toe rings…

The Traditional Jewellery House: reflecting on the cultural significance of Emirati jewellery

The final room offers quiet reflection: you sit alone before a large murtasha necklace, enclosed by gentle latticework. It’s a beautifully designed space that invites contemplation on the emotional and cultural depth of Emirati jewellery traditions.

The House of Traditional Jewellery in al-Shinadagha Museum offers a beautiful introduction into traditional Emirati jewellery. Through actual pieces, immersive experiences, video fragments and stunning photographs, you get a vivid sense of the history and meaning of jewellery in Emirati culture.

The only thing that left me wondering is regional diversity in jewellery styles within the Emirates: this is abundantly shown for dress in the House of Beauty and Adornment, but notably absent here. I’m not sure if this means that such diversity did not exist, or that we witness here the ‘canonisation’ of jewellery styles, if you will: the slow formation of an accepted and solidified repertoire of jewellery.

And, if you’ll indulge me for a final wish… after having seen this stunning pavilion, all I wanted was to make my way to the gift shop to learn more about traditional jewellery – but there was nothing available on this topic. I really hope that in the future, the al-Shindagha Museum will offer catalogues of their collection: that would make an already perfect visit unforgettable.

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