Dear List Members,

A while back we sent the following letter to John Chadwick and received
his
reply.  At the risk of being flamed by everyone, we are adding the info
he suggested and posting the message to the list.  These artifacts are
in excellent condition and we want them to end up in a museum.  Money
is secondary to getting them a good home where they will be appreciated
for generations to come.  Please contact us if you are interested or
want
more info, pictures (via email), etc.

Thanks,

Julio & Star Edwards
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9/14/96

>Hi John,
>
>We were wondering if the attached letter would be appropriate to send to
>your list of subscribers.  We are more interested in this material
>getting in the hands of a good museum than making a lot of money.
>
>Thanks for any advice,
>
>Julio & Star Edwards
>

Julio,

Your posting is on the line so to speak. Generally, postings of an
obvious
and blatant commercial nature are inappropriate. However, the items you
describe would seem to qualify as museum artifacts. I would suggest
posting
the message but be prepared for some negative feedback. You may want to
be
clear about how you acquired the items and their historical
significance.

--john


                     INFO ON BEDOUIN GOODS



                  HOW WERE THESE ITEMS ACQUIRED?

The items were acquired when my mother was working in Taif,
working to help open a hospital in the mountains, in 1980-81.
She lived there about 2 years.  In that time she would go to the
suq regularly and purchase the items.  She is a collector of fine
silver and antiques.  She recognized the exquisite craftsmanship
in the textiles and the unique styling of the large pieces of
jewelry.

My mother now is 77 years old and wishes to find a place where
these items can continue to be appreciated and enjoyed.

            HOW DO THEY QUALIFY AS MUSEUM ARTIFACTS?

Increasing desertification of the region is making traditional
nomadic life harder.   Contributing to the decline of handcrafted
items is the automobile, which has increased the pace of life.
As a consequence, the Arabian woman has less time for needlework.
Increased trade has expanded the ready availability of
inexpensive factory made garments.  Beautiful hand spun, hand
woven, and embroidered garments are increasingly hard to find.
Sewing machines have been a contributing factor as well. Western
clothes are slowly supplanting traditional wear.  Even in parts
of Arabia where nomads still wear regional dress, inter-tribal
influence has now modified the pure forms and the threat of
progress is ever encroaching.  The oil wealth has stimulated an
increase in the interest in gold, and many shops sell gold items
in the imitation of traditional silver work designs, prompting an
interest in the old silver.   Bedouin traditions provide one of
the purest Arab links with the "cradle of civilization".  These
treasures need to be recorded and preserved as items of historic
interest, expressing the cumulative experience of a generational
continuum.

       WHAT IS THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE ITEMS?

By maintaining ancient stylistic features in textiles and
jewelry, one is transported through time confirming the ever
present artistic evolution and its continuing importance in
conveying culture.

These artifacts are a window to a lifestyle that attests to the
vibrant celebration of integrating passion for life and its
reverence manifest in the material world.