珍珠母吊墜 – 光輝十字架
Mother of Pearl Pendant – Radiant Cross

許多基督教藝術品的十字架都有光輝從中向外發出的意象。雖然十字架曾經是羅馬酷刑的記號，耶穌卻透過十架背負世人的罪，顯出上主犧牲的愛，並以復活勝過死亡。就如第四任港督寶玲所寫的詩歌《榮耀寶架》：

基督寶架我所誇耀，巍然屹立億萬年。
捨生聖蹟光華燦爛，環繞十架何莊嚴。

珍珠母首飾和裝飾品製作可說是伯利恆最著名的古老工藝。這個工藝相傳由方濟會修士於十五世紀傳入。未久，當地原住民成功仿效，並把工藝品售給那些到訪白冷的朝聖者，獲取微薄收入。

昔日由紅海阿卡巴灣運送過來的貝殼及石決明，今日則是從澳洲、加洲、紐世蘭和巴西進口。而伯利恆基督徒—特別是蘇比家—的精湛工藝亦已多次獲得國際認同。

2007 年五月號的《巴勒斯坦今週》英文月刊的其中一篇特色文章，正是講說當地的珍珠母製作歷史。

Many crosses in the history of Christian art show rays of light emanating from the center. Even though the cross was a dark symbol of Roman execution, the cross of Jesus showed the depths of God’s sacrificial love for us in taking upon Himself the sins of the world and defeating death through the resurrection. To quote the famous hymn In the Cross of Christ I Glory of John Bowring:

In the cross of Christ I glory,
towering o’er the wrecks of time;
all the light of sacred story
gathers round its head sublime.

The making of jewellery and decorative items from Mother of Pearl is perhaps Bethlehem’s oldest and most established industry. The practice supposedly came to Bethlehem in the 15th century with the arrival of Franciscan friars. Locals soon mastered the art and made a modest living selling handmade items to the many pilgrims who streamed into Bethlehem.

Traditionally, the sea shells and abalone were brought in from the Port of Aqaba on the Red Sea but now they are imported from Australia, California, New Zealand, and Brazil. Palestinian Christians, particularly the Zoughbi family in Bethlehem, have often received international recognition for their mastery of this art form.

The history of Mother of Pearl carving in Palestine was featured in this article published in the May 2007 issue of This Week in Palestine.