Obj. ID: 36100 Amulet, Fes (Fez), circa 1930
sub-set tree:
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.
This beautiful design has the cut-out work with the deep engraving typical of mezuzah covers, Hanukah menorahs, etc., which originate in the workshops of Jewish silversmiths in Fez in the twentieth century. This example is set with green and red cut-glass "jewels". Such work seems to have been done from the 1920's until the 1950's. Other examples of this type of silverwork can be seen in examples in the Gross Family Collection: a Mezuzah cover, 0 .00. , a Talit container, 0 ,001. , and a Chanukah Menorah, 010.001.004. The colors of the "jewels" give protective power as do the many circles in the decoration, representing the eye, which is itself an antidote against the “evil eye”. The two fingers on the sides of the middle finger carry stylized figure 8's, a Kabbalistic symbol for infinity.
The hamsa (five, as in five fingers) is an amulet shaped like a hand. The hamsa is arguably the most popular form of amulet against the Evil Eye and is used in a large number of countries. Probably originating in Moslem Spain of the 12th or 13th century, it crossed the sea to Morocco and spread across North Africa to the Middle and Far East.