This item has been added to the Database within the Explore Islamic Art Collections project. Information is available in: English, Arabic.
Amulet
Bucharest, Romania
The National Museum of Art of Romania
About The National Museum of Art of Romania, Bucharest
Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century
69245 / P 172
Gold, silver; repoussé, granulation
Length: 6.7cm, Width: 5.6cm
Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
Tear-shaped pendant with a silver openwork border of twisted wire and granulation. It is inscribed on both sides with Arabic repoussé invocations and Qur’anic texts. The invocations in thuluth script on the scrolling ground at the centre are surrounded by epigraphic bands with verses in naskhi calligraphy: ‘Ma sha’ Allah!’ (‘God willing’) is encircled by the verses of Sura CXIII (Al-Falaq/ The Daybreak) and ‘Ya Hafiz!’ (‘O Preserver!’), by the verses of Sura CXIV (Al-Nas / Mankind). These last two chapters of the Qur’an, very short and intensely evocative, referred to as al-mu‘awwidhatan (the two protecting ones), appear quite frequently on amulets.
Stylistic analysis; Comparison with related objects
Partial return (1956) of the Romanian treasure sent to Russia for safekeeping during World War I.
Stylistic analysis
Dunca, M., Scrierea în arta islamică, Bucharest: National Museum of Art of Romania, 2000: 74, cat. no. 46.
Olariu, E. and Vida, M., Oglinzile Orientului. Pictură şi grafică din colecţiile Muzeului Naţional de Artă al României, 1850-1950, Bucharest: National Museum of Art of Romania, 2016: 131, cat. no. 126.
Mircea Dunca "Amulet" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;rm;Mus21;25;en
Prepared by: Mircea Dunca
MWNF Working Number: RO1 25
RELATED CONTENT
Islamic Dynasties / Period
On display in
Download
As PDF (including images) As Word (text only)