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1985.52.254

Amulet, striped textile pouch, containing folded paper. There is a metal pin sealing one side of the pouch, the rest is stitched closed. [ACA 29/02/2012]

1985.52.254

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Collection type
Object
Description
Amulet, striped textile pouch, containing folded paper. There is a metal pin sealing one side of the pouch, the rest is stitched closed. [ACA 29/02/2012]
Long description
Amulet, striped textile pouch, containing folded paper. There is a metal pin sealing one side of the pouch, the rest is stitched closed. The pouch is said to contain a ?medicinal substance wrapped in verses of the Koran used to cure contagious diseases. [ACA 29/02/2012]
Geographical reference
Algeria
Africa > Northern Africa > Algeria
Sidi Bel Abbes
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1931
Date collected
By 1931
Acquisition information
Transferred: 1985
Materials and processes
Material Cotton Seed Fibre Textile Plant, Material Paper Plant, Material Metal, Process Stitched
Dimensions
Height: max 68 mm, Width: max 52 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1985.52.254 Other numbers: 481 R 15896/ 1936
Associated publications
This amulet was selected for the Small Blessings project website [http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/amulets], online text as follows: This Qurʼanic amulet, made from a striped textile pouch stitched closed and sealed with a metal pin, contains a medicinal substance wrapped in religious verses. It is said to cure contagious diseases and was collected in Sidi-bel-Abbes, Algeria, by the French-Algerian zoologist Paul Maurice Pallary (1869-1942). Islam is the state religion of Algeria and it permeates many aspects of everyday life. Traditional Islamic medicine combines the healing powers of the Qurʼan with natural remedies, and is particularly important in rural areas where people have limited access to modern medicine. Traditional healers, sometimes called ʻsorcerersʼ or ʻshamansʼ, use a mixture of Qurʼanic verses, water, herbs, ornaments, oil, and honey to treat and protect against illness and disease. Verses of the Qurʼan may be recited, written with ink that can be dissolved in water and drunk as a holy tonic, or placed in amulets like this one. [CB 29/08/2012]

Search terms: Religion, Bag, Amulet

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