Introduction
This exhibition is devoted to the popular amulet
known as the khamsa (in Arabic: five) or the hand
of Fatima. After the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed.
Its name were derived from the shape of an open,
five-fingered palm, believed to be imbued with
magical powers. The enormous number of khamsas
owned by Jews and Muslims throughout the Maghreb
countries, their abundant decorative patterns and
motifs, and the incorporation of the khamsa from
into amuletic jewelry - all these attest to the
khamsa's prominent and enduring talismanic status.
The hand is an important means of expression,
denoting power, authority, the empowerment of
others, strength, thought, and blessings. It
can signal rejection and refusal, but also
acceptance and inclusion. In addition, the
human hand are tools, essential for work and
normal daily function. Since antiquity, the
hand-shape has possessed a symbolic significance.
Drawing and prints of open hands were discovered
in the ancient caves of Spain, Egypt and the
Atlas Mountains. The ritualistic meaning of
the hand gave rise to many popular beliefs
about its magical potency - as a protector
against demons, spirits and the evil eye.
And as a source of good fortune and blessing.
Because each culture devised its own methods of
protection against harm, amuletic devices have
over the centuries assumed numerous shapes.
Prominent among them is the khamsa, the protective
hand, still extant in our own day and age.
The khamsas are common in the Maghreb countries,
the Sahara, Egypt, Syria, Eretz Israel, Turkey,
Iran, Iraq, India, and southern Europe. In North
Africa, and especially in Morocco, fear of demonic
spirits and the evil eye remains a deeply rooted
part of local life.
The great diversity of shapes representing the
magical palm in North Africa is proof the khamsa's
predominance in the magical folklore of both
the Jews and Muslims, whose shared popular traditions
were nourished by an intercultural dialogue.
The Jews embraced the khamsa, derived from Muslim
ornamental patterns, but enriched it with the
imagery of their own culture.
page 2 |
