The manufacturing of baby cribs is a traditional craft inherited by citizens in Al Mazyouna, Dhofar Governorate, which continues to the present day.
Maryam Zaabnout, head of the Omani Women Association in the Wilayat of Al Mazyouna, said that while there is a proliferation of ready-made cribs in the market, they continue doing the traditional baby cribs to make sure that this important part of culture is not forgotten.
Zaabnout is proud that the crib manufacturing handicraft continues to this day as she said, this is an important part of Oman heritage that the Sultanate should not allow to be gone.
Making a cradle manually according to Zaabnout goes through several stages. She explained that it starts with tanning and cleaning sheepskin, then quantities of leaves are placed inside the skin and kept in a small hole for three days.
She added that after that period, the skin is rubbed for an hour, then another amount of leaves are placed inside the skin again to be placed in a saucepan for another three days. This helps the skin get more thick and strong and it also changes its colour.
After that, she explained that the skin is taken from the pot, washed with water and dried in the sun for an hour to two, then an amount of oil is put on it, rubbed, and separated into 4 pieces of leather, two pieces from the top and two pieces from the bottom. Small sticks of trees are placed on it in addition to being sewn from the palm tree leaves and decorated with beads.
It should be noted that the use of the cradle in the past was to protect the child from the heat during the summer and from the cold in the winter, in addition to protecting him from the rain. Water is sprayed on the cradle so that the gets enough cold inside.
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