The Jambiya
The short curved dagger with a broad double-edged blade worn at the belt by Yemeni men, a symbol of honor and manhood carried from youth and drawn in the bara', the ritual war dance of Yemen in which lines of dancers flourish their daggers to drumming and chant. Silver-sheathed jambiya hilts, some of rhino horn, are treasured heirlooms and marks of tribal and social standing, and a fine jambiya can be the most valuable thing a man owns. The wearing of the dagger, its angle at the belt, and the dance itself are all attested across Yemeni material culture and in the songs and poetry that surroun