Bedouin Silver

The most common amulet in the Middle East is used to ward off the evil eye or ‘ain al-hasad, as it is known in Arabic. The evil eye may manifest when jealousy or envy arises in humans and demons; perhaps in the face of another’s beauty, wealth, perfection or fortune. Blue glass beads with white, blue and black dots invoking eyes are still available from every market from Istanbul to Fez. Examples and a description can be found on the website Wearable Heritage by Jolanda Bos.

Old Lochscheiben amulet in faience and silver, newly strung on a necklace

Amulets against the evil eye can take many forms and are not at all limited to jewelry. In Syria, Jordan and Palestine, a blue or greenish faience disk, pierced in several places, is a common amulet against the evil eye and is usually referred to by the German word Lochscheibe: a disk with holes in it. Its history is uncertain, but may derive from the Late Egyptian form of the Eye of Horus-amulet.

Stylized hands on a head ornament from Oman. Silver and gold leaf

Hands make powerful amulets for several reasons and their use predates Islam. In Muslim countries today, they are said to represent the hand of Fatima, daughter of the prophet, and the hand’s five fingers symbolize the five pillars of Islam or the five daily prayers. The hand can be depicted in either much detail, such as in the Moroccan Hands of Fatima, in an extremely schematic form such as in Oman, and everything in between. There is also a difference in the way the hand is positioned: the hand with the fingers turned upward is a symbol of defense against evil, whereas the hand with the fingers turned downward is said to be the hand bestowing blessings from above on the wearer.

Modern amulet in the shape of the Hand of Fatima, Morocco

This modern amulet from Morocco shows the many ways a piece of jewelry can carry protective meaning. The amulet itself is blue, one of the main protective colours. Although the hand has five fingers, the two outer fingers are depicted differently, leaving the three inner fingers to be decorated in their own way. In this manner, the significant number three is also integrated into the power of this amulet. The three fish on the fingers symbolize fertility. To add to the meaning of the amulet, the eye is depicted in the palm, making it an even stronger composition against evil and envy. The position with the fingers upwards is defensive in nature.