Description
This amulet plaque is an apotropaic object intended to ward off the evil eye (ayin ha-ra) and to protect its wearer or the household. Engraved with divine names, biblical verses, and the motif of the open hand (hamsa or khamsa), it combines the power of sacred writing with that of the protective symbol, widespread throughout North Africa. In Tunisia, Jewish silver craftsmanship finely associates kabbalistic inscription with the figure of the open hand with five fingers, sometimes flanked by fish, further emblems of blessing and fertility. Such amulets were worn on the body or hung up, testifying to the magico-religious culture shared by Jews and Muslims of the Maghreb.
