Auction 61 - Rare and Important Items
Two Exquisite Amulet Jewelry Pieces - Gilt Silver and Pearls
Opening: $1,000
Sold for: $1,250
Including buyer's premium
Matching necklace and bracelet used as amulets. [Europe, early 20th century?].
1. Necklace made of gilt silver mesh.
In the middle of the necklace is an oval pendant inlaid with a gemstone, embossed on the reverse with the Hebrew letters kof, resh, ayin [the first initials of "Kabel Rinat Amcha" ("Receive your people's song") from the Kabbalist liturgical song "Ana Be'Koach"]. Beside it are four round, smaller pendants, also inlaid with gemstones. On the back of each one a Hebrew letter is embossed: yod, heh, heh and vav, which together create the tetragrammaton. The necklace can be fastened around the neck like a belt, with the buckle and hoop granulated.
Length: 47 cm. Width: 1.5 cm. Good condition. Some stains. Gilding worn.
2. Bracelet made of gilt silver mesh.
On the bracelet are three round pendants inlaid with gemstones, embossed on the reverse with the letters kof, resh, ayin. The bracelet can be fastened on the wrist like a belt, with the buckle and hoop granulated.
Length: 23 cm, width: 1.5 cm. Good condition. Some stains. Gilding worn.
These jewelry pieces were used as a "secret" amulet, since the letters carrying the protective-kabbalist quality are concealed on their reverse side. Usually, in the jewelry tradition of Jewish communities, the jewelry worn by Jews differed from that of the surrounding cultures only in its shape, its different decorations, in its uses which were unique to Jews, or in the different technique used to make them; rare are the pieces of jewelry displaying a typically Jewish character, such as Hebrew letters.
1. Necklace made of gilt silver mesh.
In the middle of the necklace is an oval pendant inlaid with a gemstone, embossed on the reverse with the Hebrew letters kof, resh, ayin [the first initials of "Kabel Rinat Amcha" ("Receive your people's song") from the Kabbalist liturgical song "Ana Be'Koach"]. Beside it are four round, smaller pendants, also inlaid with gemstones. On the back of each one a Hebrew letter is embossed: yod, heh, heh and vav, which together create the tetragrammaton. The necklace can be fastened around the neck like a belt, with the buckle and hoop granulated.
Length: 47 cm. Width: 1.5 cm. Good condition. Some stains. Gilding worn.
2. Bracelet made of gilt silver mesh.
On the bracelet are three round pendants inlaid with gemstones, embossed on the reverse with the letters kof, resh, ayin. The bracelet can be fastened on the wrist like a belt, with the buckle and hoop granulated.
Length: 23 cm, width: 1.5 cm. Good condition. Some stains. Gilding worn.
These jewelry pieces were used as a "secret" amulet, since the letters carrying the protective-kabbalist quality are concealed on their reverse side. Usually, in the jewelry tradition of Jewish communities, the jewelry worn by Jews differed from that of the surrounding cultures only in its shape, its different decorations, in its uses which were unique to Jews, or in the different technique used to make them; rare are the pieces of jewelry displaying a typically Jewish character, such as Hebrew letters.