Moroccan silver hamsa (khamsa)

The hamsa ("five" in Arabic, referring to the five fingers) is an open-hand-shaped amulet, reputed to ward off the evil eye and bring good luck, widely shared by Jewish and Muslim populations throughout the Mediterranean region. It is hung in the home, above a door, or worn as a pendant. In Morocco, Jewish goldsmithing produces it in pierced, engraved, nielloed or stone- and glass-set silver, sometimes flanked by fish or completed with inscriptions. An object on the boundary between jewel and talisman, it illustrates a popular culture of protection common to the communities of the Maghreb, where Jewish goldsmiths played a leading role.