Kuwaiti Handicraft & Profession

In the pre-oil Kuwaiti society had totally different characteristics than those prevalent today as modern civilization booms with success at threshold of the 21st century.
You are going to see writr up for old Kuwaiti handicraft or profession undertaken in the past to meet various needs of Kuwaiti society. All of these profession reflect the many norms of lifestyles and traditions which prevailed during that period of time. Some of these crafts still exist to date being closely related to the Kuwaiti character.

'Al-Kharraz'
This is a profession similar to the shoe-maker, except that 'Al-kharraz' makes men's sandals. These sandals are of a simple fashion, open-backed yet sturdy. The most popular style is the 'najdiya', which is made of expensive lather.

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'Al-Sadu'
This is a wool-weaving craft of the Bedouin women. Both beautiful and practical, 'al-sadu' provided all of the family needs for tents, cushions, rugs and saddle bags which were hung on the camels and horses. Bedouin women were also skilled in making 'al-karakeesh'-frilly woven pieces of sadu used to decorate the tent walls.

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'Sandouk Al-Bahar'
Sailor's box; made of wood and wrapped tightly with ropes to facilitate pulling it up to the deck. The ropes also added a touch of grace and beauty to the box which was used to store the sailor's tools and supplies during the pearl-diving trips which normally lasted six months.

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'Al-Mehassen'
The barber was frequently visited by the male residents of the district to cut and trim the hair. private home visits could also be arranged for elderly and noble. The profession of 'al-mehassen' was very important in keeping with the long standing Kuwaiti custom regarding good hygiene and neat appearance.

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'Al-Mtayerji'
The person who breeds and flies pigeons. The pigeons were attracted first by scattering seeds for them to pick, and later trained and flown in large flocks. Once accustomed to their roost and food supply, the pigeons always faithfully returned home.

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'Al-Rahat'
This is a cylindrical flat millstone, placed on top of a similar stone, used to crush grains. The mill was operated by rotating the small wooden handle fixed on the alkaline stone, with a center hole 'kour' to allow the grains to pass through and fall between the two stones. As the upper millstone rotates, the grains are crushed and ground.

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'Khayat Al-Bishout'
('Al Bisht', plural 'bishout'). This is the loose cloak worn by men over their 'disdasha'. The tailoring of 'al-bishout' was done by skilled and respected craftsman. The cloaks were tailored in several forms such as 'al-darbuya' and 'al-makasr'. The shiekhs of the ruling family used to wear 'bishout' decorated with two stripes on the front. These stripes are made from gold.

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'Al-Sharrah'
This name is derived from 'sharh al-khashab' which refers to wood being sawed for shipbuilding and other joinery works. This craftsman played an important role in old Kuwait.

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'Al-Saffar'
This is the man who crafted bronze cooking pots, kettles, coffee pots and other utensils. As these utensils were used for a long periods of time, they tended to become discolored. 'Al-Saffar' therefore also cleaned and polished the wares, making them shiny new again.

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'Bayya'atal bajila wal nakhi'
'Bajila means broad-beans and 'nakhi' means chick-peas, both being types of legumes. The crops were planted in Kuwait in early winter and cultivated late in the spring. In the old days , women vendors used to cook these legumes in large pots then set-up in the street with small plates in front of her to sell 'al-bajila and 'al-nakhi'to the residents of the quarter.

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'Dashat Al-Ghous'
Literally "the entrance into the sea", this reflects the pearl-diving trips taken by Kuwaiti's forefathers. Pearls harvested during these long trips were then carried to India and Africa to be traded for other commodities needed by The Kuwaiti society such as silk, gold, incense, rice, spices etc. Pearl diving was then considered the mainstay of the Kuwaiti economy.

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'Al-Hammar'
This refer to the men of old who led their donkeys through the streets delivering fresh water to the homes. Fresh water was either obtained from artesian wells or brought in by ships to the coasts of Kuwait for later distribution to the residents.

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