Obj. ID: 36489 Amulet, Iran, 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.
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 there are five examples in the Gross Family Collection. This example is a companion piece to the Lilith amulet 027.001.288, which has the same design but less skillfully engraved. The figure of Lilith is itself a protection against her evil influence, and is reinforced by the many amuletic abbreviations and formulae present in the piece. It 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.
Inscription: Adonai (42 letter name).......