Obj. ID: 54273
  Sacred and Ritual Mazal Tov le-Nekevah, Vilnius (Vilna, Wilno), 1887
sub-set tree: 
W | Wreath
M | Magen David
O | Ornamentation: | Full page framed
|
The following description was prepared by William Gross:
From earliest times, man has tried to protect himself from misfortune by the use of objects that 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 the 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 amulet is a part of a large group of printed birth amulets, usually for male and female children. They are of the simplest form with only the most basic amuletic formulas and are generally very small as well. The basic elements are Psalm 121, the naming of the patriarchs and matriarchs, and a few "names", all of which are invoked for protection against Lilith. They appear in this form in many different countries in Europe, North America, North Africa, and the Middle East. This particular example for a female child was printed in Vilnius. It is the pair for the same amulet printed for a male child, the Gross Family Collection. The cencorship confirmation was done in Warsaw.
This amulet is more pleasing to the eye than those printed at the Romm press, several examples of which are in the Gross Family Collection. In the middle of this sheet are pictured a wreath, two birds, and a Magen David. The amulet passed censorship in Warsaw in 1887 but was printed at the press of A. H. Katzenelenbogen in Vilnius.