⊰ Bandolier, pocket belt WWI ⊱
World War I bandolier
I was wandering through the flea market (Pishpeshuk) in Old Jaffa when I passed by the display window of the Palestina antique shop. There I saw a brown leather pocket belt (bandolier). I thought it was beautiful, but when I stepped inside and discovered it had an even prettier sister in black, it was just perfect.
Like most things in the shop, it was an authentic piece from World War I. Which is why it also came with a perfectly reasonable price tag of several hundred shekels - enough to keep us apart. My logic explained to my heart that it just wasn’t going to happen.
Every time I went to the flea market, I would stop by the shop to visit it - until one day, it was gone. My heart sank. I regretted not investing and buying it when I had the chance. Luckily, I mentioned it to the shopkeeper, who reassured me it had only been rented out for a photoshoot.
When it returned from its tour, done being a star, I went back to the shop and finally bought it.
Years later, when my daughter wanted to dress up as a Jawa from Star Wars, this bandolier was the first perfect piece we had. It was even practical - we used it to store spare batteries for the glowing eyes.
I can't tell you how much it amused me when someone saw the belt and commented on the "accuracy" of its closure buttons, thinking I had made it myself, without realizing it was the real deal, just like the ones used in the films.
