Amulet
Place made:Iran or India
Date: 19th century
Dimensions:
h. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm); w. 2 in. (5.1 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Anne Wallace in memory of her grandmother Lucile Matthews Brittingham
Object number: 2013.19
Inscribed: Three Arabic texts are inscribed on the amulet’s surface:
1. Around the perimeter is Qur’an 2:255 (the Throne Verse):
Allah! There is no god [worthy of worship] except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who could possibly intercede with Him without His permission? He [fully] knows what is ahead of them and what is behind them, but no one can grasp any of His knowledge, except what He wills [to reveal]. His Seat encompasses the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of both does not tire Him. For He is the Most High, the Greatest.
2. Around the central rectangle is the Nad-i 'Ali (a Shi’a prayer invoking the Imam ‘Ali):
Call upon ‘Ali who makes wonders appear, you will find him a help to you in adversity, all care and grief will clear away through your friendship, O ‘Ali, O ‘Ali, O ‘Ali.
3. In compartments in the central rectangle, arranged in a 9 x 7 grid, are 63 of the 99 Names of God.
(Translated with the assistance of Yasmine el-Saleh (2013) and Michael Chagnon (2021).
Provenance: Lucile Matthews Brittingham (1890-1995), Fort Worth; by descent to her granddaughter, Anne Wallace, San Antonio; by gift to the San Antonio Museum of Art, 2013
Label Text
For centuries many Muslims have worn intricately inscribed amulets to invoke divine protection and ward off harm. Three Arabic inscriptions cover this extraordinary amulet's surface. In small compartments within the central rectangle are listed sixty-three Names of God, believed to bring blessings. These are surrounded by a Shi’a prayer invoking the aid of the Imam ‘Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur'an verse encircling the amulet's perimeter, known as the Throne Verse, praises the omnipotence of God. This verse was frequently inscribed on amulets because of its power.
Three Arabic texts are inscribed on the amulet’s surface:
1. Qur’an 2:255 (the Throne Verse):
Allah! There is no god [worthy of worship] except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who could possibly intercede with Him without His permission? He [fully] knows what is ahead of them and what is behind them, but no one can grasp any of His knowledge, except what He wills [to reveal]. His Seat encompasses the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of both does not tire Him. For He is the Most High, the Greatest.
2. A Shi’a prayer invoking the Imam ‘Ali:
Call upon ‘Ali who makes wonders appear, you will find him a help to you in adversity, all care and grief will clear away through your friendship, O ‘Ali, O ‘Ali, O ‘Ali.
3. Compartments in a 9 x 7 grid with 63 of the 99 Names of God.
(J. Powers, 2021)
Three Arabic texts are inscribed on the amulet’s surface:
1. Qur’an 2:255 (the Throne Verse):
Allah! There is no god [worthy of worship] except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who could possibly intercede with Him without His permission? He [fully] knows what is ahead of them and what is behind them, but no one can grasp any of His knowledge, except what He wills [to reveal]. His Seat encompasses the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of both does not tire Him. For He is the Most High, the Greatest.
2. A Shi’a prayer invoking the Imam ‘Ali:
Call upon ‘Ali who makes wonders appear, you will find him a help to you in adversity, all care and grief will clear away through your friendship, O ‘Ali, O ‘Ali, O ‘Ali.
3. Compartments in a 9 x 7 grid with 63 of the 99 Names of God.
(J. Powers, 2021)
Not on view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
