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Synopsis
Since Antiquity the natural pearls of the Gulf have been famed as the finest, most lustrous and most plentiful that the world can offer. From the beginnings of trade until the 1930s, these pearls were a major product of the Gulf's coastal peoples. Latterly, from the 17th to the early 20th centuries, rising international demand turned pearling into their economic mainstay. By this time pearls were fished in their millions, and pearling became the pillar of the regional economy, dominating the lives, health and expectations of entire shaikhdoms. The influx of people and wealth to the coast permanently transformed the Gulf, providing the manpower and capital to germinate and nurture the city-states - notably Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah - which endure there today. Despite its formative role, there has until now been no book taking the entire history of pearling as its subject. Dr Carter's ground-breaking work traces its evolution on both the Arabian and the Persian sides of the Gulf, and explores the role it played in shaping the political, social and urban configuration that we see in the region today. It shows the extent to which the Gulf economy became dependent on a single commodity, and how, in that respect, pearling resembled the oil industry that would replace it. Lavishly illustrated, this book covers in unprecedented detail the history, development, conduct, florescence and catastrophic collapse of the industry in the early 20th century. It will fascinate not only those wishing to understand the growth and conduct of the pearl fishery, but also those interested in the history of the region and the origins of the Gulf states, and in the colourful story of the global taste for one of mankind's most highly prized precious stones.
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About the Author
DR ROBERT CARTER took a first-class degree in Modern History at St Anne's College, Oxford, before obtaining his Ph.D. at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (UCL), where he began his archaeological career. He has since worked on excavations throughout the Gulf. He has lectured at various British universities and from 2003 to 2006 was G. A. Wainwright Research Fellow in Near Eastern Archaeology at Oxford University. Since then he has worked as a consultant on rescue excavations in the Gulf, both independently and as leader of Oxford Brookes Archaeology and Heritage. He has been awarded various scholarships, grants and prizes, was chairman of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 2005-11, and sits on the committee of the recently formed (2010) British Foundation for the Study of Arabia (BFSA). He is currently Senior Lecturer at UCL-Qatar, UCL's new campus in Doha, where he now lives with his wife and two daughters.
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Sea of Pearls: Seven Thousand Years of the Industry that Shaped the Gulf
Published by
Arabian Publishing, London, 2012
ISBN 10: 0957106009
ISBN 13: 9780957106000
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Dendera, London, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. The first, and complete edition dated 2012 (an abridged version focusing more on Bahrain with a new final chapter on Bahrain's UNESCO heritage site appeared in 2023). Lavishly produced in gilt-titled red cloth in a colour illustrated jacket 26x34cm. xx, 363pp heavy art paper including 338 colour and b/w photos, 26 maps, 32 tables and charts, appendices, notes bibliography and index. Covers and interiors fine, jacket near fine, lightly shelf rubbed. "This is not a coffee table book about pearls, but essential reading for anyone attempting to understand Gulf history. It is a serious economic and political survey from prehistory to the present, as it explores how pearling developed from a tiny component of a prehistoric fishing economy to become synonymous with the Gulf as increasing demand was matched by deeper diving and greater financing of more and more boats" (review by St John Simpson in BFSA 2014). Chapters cover the evidence for pearls from prehistory to the C7th AD, the medieval period, the economic effects of rivalry during the Kingdom of Hormuz, Portuguese and Safavid periods, local Arab control (1700-1820), and the Boom Century (1820-1912) drawing on written and oral testimonies. Seller Inventory # 5591
Quantity: 1 available