Silver amulet holder

1868

Turkmen amulet holders are usually triangular or rectangular in shape and the shape of this amulet holder - a double bird - is therefore rare. The holder is decorated with cornalines in a setting with loop decoration and with round and diamond shaped gilded plates. The plate in the middle is a worn coin. Below are eleven pendants consisting of cornalined oval plates, gilt plates with relief decoration and silver bells. The holder is worn on two chains, which consist largely of silver plates decorated with oval pieces of cornaline and motifs of ram's horns. The gilded plates on the front of the amulet holder represent a mode of decoration characteristic of many pieces of the Yomut-Turkmen of north-eastern Iran, while the shape of the holder as well as the pendants on the underside of the piece, in terms of decoration, also point in that direction. \Amulet holders of this type are worn exclusively by women as protection against misfortune or evil influences. They can be worn either on the chest or on the hip. In the latter case, they either hang from the left shoulder on the right hip, or from the right shoulder on the left hip. Papers with texts from the Koran or other protective texts could be inserted into the holder.\nThe decoration of the object shows a clear resemblance to another amulet holder in the collection (RV-5354-2), which came into the possession of the museum somewhat earlier and through the same intermediary. It is therefore not inconceivable that both objects came from the same family. It is also interesting to note that the other object is decorated with a number of mint-like imprints in silver, similar to the very worn one on this pendant. The text on it reads: 'Zarbe Bukhara-ye-Sharf' and the year '1284' - according to the Islamic Lunar New Year count - that is, "Struck [in] the holy [city] of Bukhara [in the year] 1868 [A.D.]".