Obj. ID: 36957
  Sacred and Ritual  Amulet, Italy, circa 1850

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

From earliest times, man has tried to protect himself from misfortune by the use of objects which he considered holy or otherwise (e.g., magically) potent. Amulets and talismans are items generally worn around the neck or wrist, carried in a pocket or purse or hung on a wall. They are meant to protect or aid those who carried or wore them. The Hebrew word for amulet, kame‘a, has the root meaning "to bind". Jewish amulets are usually comprised of texts (either letters or graphic symbols) that are inscribed on some sort of material; some may also contain plant matter or precious stones. The texts of amulets usually include holy names that are believed to have the ability to affect reality, along with incantations summoning angels or other magical powers. For the most part, an amulet has a specific purpose: to ease childbirth, facilitate recovery from illness, improve one’s livelihood, and so on, but in the modern world many are also made for general protection.

Amulets of this sort were a part of almost every Italian Jewish home. They were hung over the crib of newly born infants. In many families this custom is still followed and such an amulet is preserved and honored.. This 19th century gold amulet is patterned after an earlier 18th form that was cast in silver. This example is decorated with the scene of Jacobs’s dream, quite in concert with the name of the child for whom it was made according to the inscription on the back of the amulet. The nature of the scene of Jacob’s dream has its source in illustrations of Christian bibles of the 17th century. In this case the probable source is the illustration by Matheus Merian or one of its copies.

Inscription: Ya'akov ben Fiorina bat Sarah