Bedouin Silver Zar Amulet, D

$ 485.00

  • Bedouin Silver Zar Amulet, D
  • Measure approx. 3" x 3"
  • Zar amulets are silver amulets worn by participants in the Zar ritual, a pre-Islamic Bedouin magical ceremony that has been preserved into the present day in modern Egypt.
  • Zar, coming from a word in Arabic for "visitation", entails the use of ritual drumming and music, while dancers (mostly female) adorned with specialized mystical jewelry attain a trance state and are visited or possessed by friendly spirits. The intention of the Zar amulet is to both facilitate the appearance of the spirit and protect from the interference of malign spirits.
  • While they often bear an image or inscription of a specific spirit, this one is a more general purpose one. It bears the Ayat ul-Kursi, or Throne Verse of the Qur'an 2:255 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throne_Verse), widely believed to protect one from evil and misfortune of all types. 
  • The border is what is known as a "trembling chevron", and invokes the image of water, perhaps to protect further from dark magic or to recall the life-giving flooding of the Nile.
  • The hallmarks indicate an origin in the city of Beni Souef, in 1926 or 1927, and is likely coin grade silver (.600-.800 silver content by weight)