Antique Hamsa/Yad/Hand of Fatima/hand of Mary/...

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Antique Hamsa/Yad/Hand of Fatima/hand of Mary/...

About the Item

Antique Khamsa/Yad gold with diamonds. Adopted by many sects such as Muslims,Christians and Jews. the image of the open right hand is seen in Mesopotamian artifacts of teaching and protection.[2] Other symbols of divine protection based around the hand include the Hand-of-Venus (or Aphrodite) and the Hand-of-Mary that was used to protect women from the evil eye, boost fertility and lactation, promote healthy pregnancies, and strengthen the weak.[2] One theory postulates a connection between the khamsa and the Mano Pantea (or Hand-of-the-All-Goddess), an amulet known to ancient Egyptians as the Two Fingers. In this amulet, the Two Fingers represent Isis and Osiris and the thumb, their child Horus and it was used to invoke the protective spirits of parents over their child.[2] Another theory traces the origins of the hamsa to Carthage (Phoenicia) where the hand (or in some cases vulva) of the supreme deity Tanit was used to ward off the evil eye.[6] A Hand of Miriam With the advent of Islam, the khamsa came to be known as the hand of Fatima to commemorate Fatima Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad.[7][5] Sources indicate that it is known to Europeans as the "hand of Fatima" or "hands of Fatima", while natives call it by its Arabic name khamsa, khams, or khoms.[8][9] Arabs also call the amulet simply al-kaff ( "the hand").[10] According to Bruno Barbatti, while this motif is "the most important apotropaic sign in the Islamic world," many modern day representations continue to "show unmistakably that they derive from sex symbolism."[11] The hamsa's path into Jewish culture, and its popularity particularly in Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish communities, can be traced through its use in Islam.[6][2] This "favorite Muslim talisman" became a part of Jewish tradition in North African and Middle Eastern Jewish communities.[12] Jews retained the Arabic name hamsa, but renamed it the hand of Miriam, referencing the sister of the biblical Moses and Aaron, so as not to reference the daughter of the prophet of Islam.[6][5][13] The khamsa holds recognition as a bearer of good fortune among Christians in the region as well. Levantine Christians call it the hand of Mary (Arabic: Kef Miryam, or the "Virgin Mary's Hand").[14][15] Well after the end of Islamic rule in Spain, its use was significant enough to prompt an episcopal committee convened by Emperor Charles V to decree a ban on the Hand of Fatima and all open right hand amulets in 1526.[2]

Dimensions:
Width: 3 in (7.62 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Gold
Place of Origin:
Unknown
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1820
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Vancouver, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU9010740738