Obj. ID: 35897 Amulet, Iraqi Kurdistan, circa 1920
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.
The general style of this amulet is typical of that found on amulets from Kurdistan even though the shape is round and not of the usual cut corner rectangular for.The inscriptions begin with the use of the eight-letter name of God at the top. The names of the three angels who protect against Lilith for a birthing mother and her child, Sanoi, Sansanoi and Smangalaf, are also inscribed, indicating that this could also be an amulet for mother and child. On the back are variations of names of God, angels and blessings. The hollow lettered Aleph in a square found on the back is an element found on several Iraqi amulets.
The steadily reducing name at the top, Shavriri, is for health.