Obj. ID: 53884  Shmirah leha-Yeled ule-Yoledet, Djerba, circa 1935

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

Printed on colored paper with a decorated border frame, this amulet uses a host of symbolic representations, including roosters, fish, the hamsah, and a Magen David.  The Haddad press in Djerba made a number of amulets, such as this one, in different designs, in addition to the printing of prayer books. This amulet was hung on the wall as a protective amulet for the newlyborn child, and included the prayers for both the circumcision and the "pidyon ha-ben ceremony", the ceremony for the redemption of the firstborn son. The centrality of the image of the hamsah indicates its importance as the carrier of protection. The border decoration is the same as on the title page of a book printed by the same printer in 1937.  See Gross family collection, B. 1157.