Obj. ID: 36478  Amulet, Iran, circa 1900

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.

Iran is the area of the Jewish world in which the use of amulets is most prevalent and from which the greatest quantity of silver amulets has survived. There are many categories for these talismans, one of which is a group of silver amulets that are engraved with the image of Lilith, of which five examples exist in the Gross Family Collection. The figure of Lilith is itself a protection against her evil influence, reinforced by the many amuletic abbreviations and formulae present of the piece. This amulet was meant to be hung from a chain around the neck of the person who was to be protected. In this case it was intended as a birth amulet to protect both the mother and the child. One of the more unusual amulets extant, this example depicts the figure of Lilith, but with a face that portrays the eyes only. This amulet contains a specific request for the protection of both the pregnant mother and child. The name of Lilith is listed in several different forms, her name being a protection against her evil influence. This would have been the centerpiece of the necklace.

Inscription: Yevayerekhekha ve-Adonai........