Obj. ID: 53860
  Sacred and Ritual  Shemirah le-'Ayin ha-R'a, Baghdad, circa 1935

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

Printed on blue paper, this amulet depicts the lighting of the Chanukah menorah.  Included are the blessings for the kindling of the lights and songs for the ceremony.  The paper is labeled as an amulet against the evil eye. This protection is provided by the schematic representation of the hamsah in the middle of the page.  The hand is inscribed with one of the names of god. It is unusual both for the depiction of the Chanukah ceremony and for the picture of two human figures, a rare occurrence on amulets or any other printed sheets from this Islamic area. It is also unusual in the combination of ritual blessings for a holiday in combination with an amulet. There is a similar occurrence in Iran where the Shiviti, using the 67th psalm in the shape of a menorah, is also created, in manuscript form, not printed, with the blessings for Chanukkah. This was prepared as a presentation to students, with the beginning of the dedication and the space left for the name at the bottom left. This is the same as the gold printed amulet on red paper, also from Baghdad, gross 027.011.