December 1, 2011 Traditional Silver Jewelry of the Middle East Subject of Dec. 12 Program

Traditionally, in the Middle East, a woman’s jewelry identified who she was, where she came from and her social and marital status.

Marjorie Ransom, a Middle East expert and retired USIA foreign service officer, will present an overview of the jewelry of Yemen at the Library of Congress at 12:15 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12 in Room 642 of the James Madison Building, located at 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. She will be joined by visiting silversmith Kamal Rubaih of Old Sana’a, Yemen, who will discuss his work to preserve the crafts of the Jewish and Muslim Yemeni silversmiths. His silverwork incorporates both designs.

The program, which is sponsored by the Acquisitions and Bibliographic Access Directorate of Library Services, is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and reservations are required by contacting gshi@loc.gov or phoning (202) 707-9897.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov.