The Sharjah Museums Authority is putting together an exhibition to highlight the centuries-old art of creating traditional daggers and to display some of the most stunning daggers ever crafted by Emirati hands.
The exhibition, titled ‘Dagger Craftsmanship in the UAE: A Craft of Authenticity and Creativity,’ debuted on Tuesday at the Sharjah Heritage Museum and will remain there through May 24 next year.
The exhibition aims to educate the general public about the significance of the Emirati family of Mohammed Hassan Al Naabi, whose members worked in dagger and sword manufacturing for many generations before the country’s unification.
Along with educating visitors about one skill that was once a significant source of income for some Emirati families, the exhibition will also focus on other Emirati handicrafts that are essential to the UAE’s cultural heritage and emphasize the need to revive and preserve them all.
To revive the custom of embellishing Emirati traditional clothing with daggers, the exhibition will feature the most popular varieties of daggers, their designs, and the forging process.
Two large daggers by Halima Abdullah Rashid, whose family has long specialized in crafting swords and daggers, hence the name, which is derived from the accuracy and creativity of the blades, are among the daggers on display as part of the exhibition. The first is a 24-K gold-plated dagger bearing a portrait of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which won the Sea of Culture Foundation’s title for the largest dagger in the 2018 UAE National Records category of Community Service and Love of Country.
The second was given the Emirates National Records award by the Sea of Culture Foundation in the category of Community Service and Love. It is a gold and silver-plated dagger with turquoise accents and features the likeness of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE.
The exhibition will also include a collection of tools used by Emirati craftsman Abdullah Rashid Al Naabi for more than 40 years in his home workshop in Dubai’s Al Rashidiya neighborhood to create daggers and swords sold locally and internationally.
Numerous activities are planned as part of the show. Dagger shops, picture corners where people can pose wearing daggers, workshops for making and decorating daggers, and live dagger drawings by an artist on the ground are a few examples.
The “Art of Aging” will be covered in an adult workshop on December 14th, led by artist Marwa Al Sharbini. On February 11, participants aged 13 to 17 will learn how to make daggers by hand in a workshop for adults.
The Authority has organized various exhibitions, public events, workshops, and talks to inspire people to celebrate and reflect on the nation’s cultural history. These events include the exhibition “The Emirati Burqa: An Intimate Object” in 2017, “Harmony: Aesthetics of Ornamentation in Emirati Heritage” in 2018, “Coffee in the Arabian Gulf” in 2019, and “The Palm Tree: Pride and Generosity” in 2021.