17. – 18. Jahrhundert Silber Hamail (Muska) Amuletthalter mit stilisiertem Lebensbaum-Motiv - 52 mm

"17th–18th Century Silvered Hamail (Muska) Amulet Holder with Stylised Tree of Life Motif

Culture / Period: 17th–18th century
Date / Period: 17th–18th century
Material: Silvered metal
Dimensions: 52 mm
Condition: Good condition.

No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 811

The current owner purchased the 17th–18th Century Silvered Hamail (Muska) Amulet Holder with Stylised Tree of Life Motif from a private collector in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

The previous owner, a private collector (N.N.) from Utrecht, the Netherlands, stated that the object had been in his collection since the 1990s.

According to the previous owner, the object had previously been part of a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1990s.

No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:

This finely crafted triangular silvered hamail (also known as a muska) is a personal amulet holder dating to the 17th–18th century. Such pendants were widely used throughout the Ottoman world and neighbouring Balkan regions as protective devotional objects. The hollow interior originally contained a tightly rolled manuscript, inserted through the sliding lid at the top and carried close to the body.

The enclosed document most commonly consisted of handwritten verses from the Qur'an—frequently Ayat al-Kursi (The Throne Verse) or the final surahs—together with written prayers, blessings, or protective invocations prepared by a religious scholar or local scribe. In some cases, the contents also included talismanic diagrams, numerical squares, or astrological symbols, reflecting regional traditions of protective magic alongside Islamic devotional practice. The manuscript was intended to be carried rather than regularly read, serving as a symbol of faith and divine protection.

The front is richly decorated in repoussé with concentric borders of ring-and-dot ornament surrounding a central stylised vegetal motif, commonly interpreted as a Tree of Life. Although its precise meaning cannot be established with certainty, this symmetrical design is characteristic of Ottoman decorative art and is generally associated with themes of life, renewal, divine blessing, and spiritual protection. The extensive ring-and-dot decoration further reflects a long-established ornamental tradition that also carried an apotropaic, or protective, significance.

Hamail pendants such as this were produced by skilled metalworkers and worn by men, women, and children alike. They could be suspended from the neck, sewn onto garments, or incorporated into larger items of jewellery. Their form changed little over several centuries, combining practical craftsmanship with religious belief and artistic tradition.

Dating to the 17th–18th century, this piece represents an authentic object of personal devotion from the Ottoman cultural sphere. It forms a tangible connection to the spiritual life, craftsmanship, and everyday traditions of the Early Modern period, when objects of this kind accompanied their owners as both expressions of faith and symbols of divine protection."