Minneapolis Institute of Art

Khamsa (Hand Amulet)

Ida ou Semlal Amazigh (Berber) artist

Date

about 1850

Medium

Silver, enamel, glass

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The hand motif as a sign of protection, widespread in northern Africa even today, dates back to ancient Mesopotamia. In Arab cultures, it is popularly called the “Hand of Fatima, ” after the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, while Jews in the Maghreb call it khamsa, from “five” in Arabic. The hand is believed to deflect the negative energy of the evil eye. Morocco

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