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TREE-CLIMBING HARNESS...

TREE-CLIMBING HARNESS (HABŪL)

Northern Oman
Cotton fabric and date palm fibre rope
14th century AH/20th century CE
Donated by Marcia Dorr

To climb the date palm tree, a specially made harness (habil) is used consisting of a rectangular sling or back support (quffah) and a thick climbing rope (suw’). The climber works his way up the tree by looping the suw’ around the trunk, leaning back against the quffah,and stepping upward.

COGGED WELL WHEEL (AL...

COGGED WELL WHEEL (AL-MANJŪR)

Northern Oman
Wood
14th century AH/20th
century CE (al-Busaid Dynasty)

The central hub of a cogged well wheel (al-manjor) is made from a single cross-cut section of local hardwood, such as sidr (Zysyphus spina-christi). To form the cogs, a double row of hand-shaped wedges, also of hardwood, are fitted into the hub one-by one. The wheel is then then lashed together with shark skin or goat leather.

DATE HARVESTING BASKE...

DATE HARVESTING BASKET (AL-MIKHRAFA)

Northern Oman
Date palm fibre
14th century AH/20th century CE

The rigid, tray-like basket (al-mikhrafa) is designed to support heavy loads and is traditionally used for harvesting dates, being raised and lowered from the top of the date palm tree by means of a palm fibre rope. The al-mikhrafais woven from split lengths of the woody, long-grained stem (al-isqah) from which the date clusters hang.

Aflaj and Agricultural Heritage

TREE-CLIMBING HARNESS...

COGGED WELL WHEEL (AL...

DATE HARVESTING BASKE...