Hizam" belt. Arabian Peninsula, Arabian Gulf, Bahrain. Large, rigid brown leather belt in two parts, a long one for the waist and a shorter rectangular front plate that fits over the ends of the long belt. The whole is almost entirely embroidered with geometric motifs in gold thread, and the front part decorated with a rhombus and four semicircles. Also included: four gold buttons (≥750, probably 875), consisting of a rounded head chased with a rosette and a long double stem used to attach the plate to the rest of the belt after perforating holes; and a gold belt buckle. Total gross weight of belt and addition: 275 g. Total net weight of buckle and hooks: 41.8 g. Belt length: 80 cm. Length of belt addition: 14.2 cm. Provenance: Royal Family of Bahrain. This belt was offered as a personal token of esteem. The Kingdom of Bahrain (Bahrain meaning "the two seas") is a constitutional monarchy on the Arabian Peninsula and an island state whose capital is Manama. The archipelago, named after its main island (al-Bahrayn), is located in the Persian Gulf between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Bahrain has been independent since 1783, and has since been ruled by the Sunni Al Khalifa ruling family. The Emirate of Bahrain, the majority of whose population is Shiite, has been a kingdom since 2002, ruled by King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa (b. 1950). From his four wives, the king has had seven sons and five daughters. Expert: Laure Soustiel (SFEP expert) Tel: 06 09 47 27 31 e-mail: laure@soustiel.com