Old Berber Ceremonial Knife Koummya Louha Amulet

$ 785.00

  • Old Berber Ceremonial Knife Koummya Louha Amulet
  • Material: Fine Silver with Inlaid Faceted Red Glass Stones and attached antique Silver Coins.
  • The Koummya, (also Khoumija, Koumaya) is a North African Dagger with a double-edged, slightly curved blade. Mainly it is used in the Sous Region and in the Atlas Mountains in Southern Morocco. As in many other areas of the Arab world, the Dagger belongs to traditional male costume.
  • The shape of Koummya Dagger resembles a boar tooth and is intended to protect against the Evil Eye. It is also thought to be worn as a symbol for Male Potency and Fertility.
  • Berbers are the indigenous ethnic group of North Africa. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa Oasis in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. The name Berber appeared for the first time after the end of the Roman Empire. Many Berbers call themselves some variant of the word Imazighen (singular: Amazigh), possibly meaning "Free People" or "Free and Noble People". Today, most Berber-speaking people live in Morocco and Algeria.
  • Louha shapes resemble a Mihrab; a niche in the wall of a Mosque, at the point nearest to Mecca toward which the congregation faces to pray.
  • Louha shapes are also referred to as "The Gates of Heaven" and the "Doors of Paradise" by the Faithful who follow the Hamsa Amulet Tradition.
  • The Louha shape closely resembles the arches that are seen throughout Moroccan buildings ans Mosques. The use of the arch was inherited from Roman and Byzantine architecture. It was the Romans who introduced basic arch forms like semi-circular round arches here. However Moroccans, like other sophisticated Islamic cultures, later adopted then developed a wealth of classic new arch shapes including the horseshoe, multi-foil, pointed and the ogee arches.
  • As with other Moroccan architectural detailing, interestingly arches too have a deeper meaning and a more profound significance. This is to do with the shape of the arch and the symbolism associated with it. 
  • A classic example of this is the Horseshoe arch. The Horseshoe arch was originally derived from early Muslims in Morocco whose Islamic Belief System contained some of the superstitions of the indigenous Berber Tribes People. The design stems from a historic use of the Horseshoe in Morocco in which it was both a superstitious and symbolic emblem. 
  • The Horseshoe was supposed to provide protection against the evil eye and bestow good fortune. This belief is even maintained to the present day. Horseshoes are occasionally still to be found above the front doors of houses to ward off malevolence and encourage good fortune into ones home.
  • .800 silver in the body of the amulet, .950 silver in the coin dangles.
  • Made in Morocco, mid-20th Century.