Yemeni jambia

Yemeni jambia

A jambia is a short dagger worn by men in Yemen. The handle of a janbiya tells the status of the man who wears it.

Structure and make

The junbia was given its name because it is worn on the side of a person – the word janbia is derived from the Arabic word "janb" which mean "side". A janbia is constituted of a handle, a blade, and a sheath in which the blade is held. It is made of a certain sort of wood, to hold the blade that is fixed to the waist from underneath with an upward curved sheath. The belt that holds the janbia is made of tanned leather, or some thick cloth. There are specialized markets and handicraft markets that decorate it with golden wires.

The janbia handle often tells of the social status of the man who wears it. Janbias are made of African rhinoceros horn, ivory, and also Almoswae horn. A kilo of this often costs $1500. The manufacturers receive this through smugglers, due to the international ban on the substance. This contributed to the retreat in the manufacturing of valuable janbias. The rhinoceros horn is considered to be the most precious. The janbias value increases as it acquires modern and old qualities.

Qualities of janbia in Yemen

The most famous sort of the janbia is that which has a "saifani" or ivory handle. It has a dim yellowish luster. The more tranlucent ivory will turn a yellow color with age. This is called "saifani heart". Some of the ivory handles are called "asadi", when they turn into greenish yellow. When the handle becomes whitish yellow, it is called "zaraf". There is also an albasali (onionish), kind whose color looks like that of a white onion.

The ivory handle janbia is often worn as a sign of high social status. They are typically used by the Hashimites (an Arab tribe, which claims a direct bloodline to the prophet Muhammad), judges, famous merchants and businessmen. Antique janbias that have been worn by historic persons can fetch exuberant prices, like that of sheikh Al-Shaif, which goes back to Imam Yahia Hameed Aldeen and