ISRAEL: Muslim, Christian and Jewish amulets on auction reflect similar hopes and fears

Record ID: 397535

  • Title: ISRAEL: Muslim, Christian and Jewish amulets on auction reflect similar hopes and fears
  • Date: 29th October 2012
  • Summary: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (OCTOBER 29, 2012) (REUTERS) SILVER STAR OF DAVID, WITH CROSS IN CENTRE AND STAMPED CHARACTERS, PERHAPS IMITATING HEBREW LETTERS, DATED TO THE 20TH CENTURY / STAR OF DAVID WITH CROSS IN CENTRE AMID OTHER AMULETS AND SYMBOLIC ITEMS, JEWISH AND MUSLIM CERAMIC TILE WITH FLORAL AND GEOMETRIC DECORATION, INSCRIBED IN ARABIC 'WHAT GOD WILLS' PENDANT WITH THE NAMES OF THE FIRST FOUR MUSLIM CALIPHS - ALI, ABU BAKR, OMAR AND OTHMAN IN FOUR CIRCLES, FLANKING A FLOWER POT / BRONZE BUCKLE PLATE DEPICTING PENTAGRAM FROM VISIGOTHIC SPAIN / BRONZE CROSS WITH PENTAGRAM FROM THE CRUSADER PERIOD ANTIQUARIAN LENNY WOLFE (left) SPEAKING WITH OWNER OF AUCTIONS HOUSE, DAVID BEN AMI ENDRES VARIOUS OF WOLFE AND ENDRES LOOKING AT AMULETS AND OTHER ITEMS ENDRES TAKING OUT AMULETS TRAY AND PUTTING IT ON COUNTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUCTION CATALOGUE AUTHOR, LENNY WOLFE, SAYING: "What's special about the collection is that you have a variety of amulets over a period of 8,000 years, covering many different cultures, principally the cultures from the Middle East, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Pagan, and from the Roman periods, pre-historic, Phoenician, Hebrew, from Israel and Judah the two kingdoms, Amonite, Moabite, Canaanite, Egyptian and as I said before they... basically they are similar amulets." "HAMSA" AMULET SHOWING FIGURE OF A HAND CERAMIC VASE, GLAZED WITH FLORAL AND GEOMETRIC DECORATION, INSCRIBED, 'WHAT GOD WILLS' / ENAMEL BOWL WITH HEBREW INSCRIPTION SILVER GILT HEBREW PECTORAL AMULET IN SHAPE OF DOMED BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUCTION CATALOGUE AUTHOR, LENNY WOLFE, SAYING: "After researching it for some time I found out that basically everyone is the same under the skin. It doesn't matter if you're Muslim or Jewish or Christian or Pagan or Canaanite or Phoenician, you all have the same... everyone has the same fears, the same wishes, the same hopes, the same desires and this is reflected in the amulets." VARIOUS OF HOUSE IDOL FROM THE CHALCOLITHIC PERIOD HEADLESS FIGURINE DATED TO THE 2ND-3RD CENTURY B.C.E
  • Embargoed: 13th November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Business,Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Religion,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA2ZZ088KEWHYQAPBDOVCNLEA1J
  • Story Text: People from different cultures have put their faith in amulets, talismans and charms for thousands of years, and now a collection of ancient amulets going on sale at an Israeli auction house proves that we've all shared common symbols, fears and hopes.
    The 348 specimens, ranging from prehistoric times to the modern era and displaying Pagan, Jewish, Christian and Muslim symbols, will go on the block in Ben-Ami Endres Auctions in Tel Aviv in Tuesday, October 30.
    The Auction Catalogue author, Lenny Wolfe, says his 30 years experience in antiquities trade has brought him to the conclusion that amulets are similar in a variety of cultures.
    "What's special about the collection is that you have a variety of amulets over a period of 8,000 years, covering many different cultures, principally the cultures from the Middle East, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Pagan, and from the Roman periods, pre-historic, Phoenician, Hebrew, from Israel and Judah the two kingdoms, Amonite, Moabite, Canaanite, Egyptian and as I said before they... basically they are similar amulets," Wolfe explains.
    "After researching it for some time I found out that basically everyone is the same under the skin. It doesn't matter if you're Muslim or Jewish or Christian or Pagan or Canaanite or Phoenician, you all have the same... everyone has the same fears, the same wishes, the same hopes, the same desires and this is reflected in the amulets," he adds.
    Wolfe says he has encountered difficulty in finding an auction house in Israel that would agree to juxtapose Pagan, Jewish, Christian and Muslim artefacts due to dealers' fears of hurting religious customers' feelings.
    According to the auction catalogue, the same principles have been employed in the making and use of amulets over thousands of years, and thus modern amulets included in the collection are as valid to the potential collector as antique or ancient specimens.
    Pectoral pendants, fertility figurines, house gods, mirrors, rings, and images of animals or religious symbols were all used to fulfil some amuletic principle, such as keeping evil at bay or giving the individual a sense of hope and protection, the catalogue says. It adds that some amulets are designed to bring harm, like a voodoo doll.
    One of the most common amulets in Jewish and Muslim tradition - depicting an open hand as protection against the evil eye - is known as a "Hamsa" or the "Hand of Fatima", referring to Islam's Prophet Mohammed's daughter.
    Another artefact depicts a silver gilt Hebrew pectoral amulet in the shape of a domed building, a symbol usually used by Muslims.
    There is also a silver Star of David, with cross in centre, representing Christian Zionism - an essentially Protestant movement which supports the Jews' return to the Land of Israel to speed on the coming of the Messiah.
    The amulets in the collection, which date back to 6000 B.C.E and include some with Hebrew, Aramaic, ancient Greek, Latin and Arabic inscriptions, cost between $25 and $5,000.
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