{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O79272"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O79272/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LX3323/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LX3323/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019LX3323","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019LX3324","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O79272/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O79272","accessionNumber":"100-1873","objectType":"Amulet","titles":[{"title":"Pendant","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Amulets were worn widely throughout the lands of the Ottoman Empire.    A hand, often so stylised that its origin is barely recognisable, was the most important Muslim amulet in North Africa and was also used in Syria.  It was adopted by Christians and Jews living in the same regions.  \r\n\r\nThe Hebrew inscription ‘<i>Shaddai</i>’, picked out in applied twisted wire, shows that this amulet was made for Jewish use.  Sephardi Jewish women in the Ottoman Empire used hand amulets with this inscription to protect their newborn children against all kinds of evil.  They pinned them to the baby’s clothing, or hung them round its neck.  The Sephardic name for these hand-shaped amulets, ‘<i>Xamsika</i>’, is probably derived from the Arabic name <i>hamsa</i>, meaning five, which was the generic name for hand-shaped amulets.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Amulet, made from gilded sheet silver cut in the shape of a very stylised hand.  There are three Hebrew characters made from twisted wire in the centre, with a small rosette and ovals with pierced centres.  The edges and details of the fingers are also emphasised with twisted wire. \r\n\r\nHebrew letters in twisted wire: 'God'","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver-gilt","id":"x37998"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silver-gilt sheet with applied twisted wire decoration","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Judaism","id":"THES48929"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Amulets","id":"THES48995"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2019LX3323","2019LX3324"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"CB006","id":"THES369161"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Pendants","id":"AAT46002"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Izmir","id":"x34554"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1850-1870","earliest":"1850-01-01","latest":"1870-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"שדי ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Hebrew","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"[God] Almighty","transliteration":"shah-'dah-yy","type":"","note":"Hebrew"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Silver gilt hand-shaped amulet with Hebrew inscription, Izmir (Turkey), 1850-1870.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["100-1873"],"accessionNumberNum":"100","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1873,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-08-12","recordCreationDate":"2003-04-01","availableToBook":true}}