Mafateel, Jam’a traditional trinkets worn by children

KUWAIT: Al-Mafateel, Al-Hajoul, Al-Jam'a, and Challab Al-Thahab are names of traditional jewelry that were typically worn by Kuwaiti children during cultural and social performances in the past. In her book "Jewelry in Old Kuwait", researcher Salwa Al-Magrebi said that the manufacturing of trinkets and small jewelry in Kuwait was influenced by social surroundings, revealing that the people who lived near the sea wore different kinds of ornaments than their counterparts in the desert.

For example, trinkets that evoked marine cultural values were being made for children near the coast and vice versa, said the researcher, adding that trinkets from nearby countries and abroad were also imported into Kuwait for children to wear. Trinkets were mostly adorned by little girls back then, said Magrebi, adding that babies, regardless of gender, were also given little ornaments consisting of "special" gemstones that had Quranic verses to ward off the evil eye. - KUNA