Old Berber Silver, Brass & Enamel Kitab Amulet Boxes

A beautiful collection of nine individual amulet boxes (s kitab, pl. kutub) or plaques from the 1940s strung onto leather cord. From Ida ou Semlal in the western Anti-Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Seven of the boxes are copper with engraved silver, two are silver. Most of the boxes show signs of enamelling which has worn away to various degrees and has left a lovely patina. Stunning and collectible.

An amulet (hirz in Arabic) is an object worn by a person as a form of protection. It is believed to ward off all danger and protect the person from all harm. Often it will be combined with beads or worn on a chain as a piece of jewellery. Some amulets contain verses from the Qur'an as perceived added protection. The amulets in our collection include Tuareg tcherot, Yemeni prayer boxes, boghdad and Tuareg crosses.