amulet;
pendant
- Museum number
- As1966,01.440
- Description
-
Hand-shaped pendant made of gilded copper wire with a turquoise bead. Used as an amulet against the 'evil eye' or 'eye of envy'.
- Production date
- 1900-1930s
- Dimensions
-
Length: 2.70 centimetres
-
Weight: 1 grammes
-
Width: 2 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Two hand amulets
Morocco (1890s); Palestine (1930s)
The belief in the protective power of hand amulets dates back millennia. In the Middle East and North Africa they are referred to as khamsas (‘five’) or ‘Hands of Fatima,’ referring to the Prophet’s daughter. These examples may have been used by Muslims or Jews to ward off the ‘eye of envy’.
2014,6009.1 and As1966,01.440
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1966
- Department
- Middle East
- Registration number
- As1966,01.440
