Img. ID: 544945
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.
Even after the appearance of the printing press, amulets continued to made by hand even til today. One of the forms of this is the scroll amulet, written on a long, thin piece of paper or parchment. When it was finished, it was rolled and placed into a container of textile. leather, or some metal and closed for easy carrying. These are individual amulets usually made for a specific person and for a specific need in addition to general protection.
The custom of placing an amulet, paper or parchment, under glass in a tin frame seems to be one from Morocco. There are several examples of this form in the Gross Family Collection from both paper and parchment and in both printed and manuscript form. The text appears to aim at general protection, presenting some angel writing letters, one of the names of God and what appears to be the Aramaic version of the names of the three angels. The parchment was framed with glass and a hanger, so it was clearly not meant for wearing but rather to be hung at home for its protection and for the protection of its inhabitants.