AMULET
Italy, c.1850
Gold, repousée, pierced, engraved, chased

Birth amulets were used in almost every Italian Jewish home. They were hung over the crib of newly born infants, a custom still observed among many families. This 19th-century gold amulet is patterned after an earlier 18th-century form that was cast in silver. Decorated with the scene of Jacob's dream, this amulet indicates the name of the child for whom it was made.

Inscription(s): Abbreviation of the ten commandments (top); "and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it." Genesis 28:12 (bottom).


Height: 10.4 cm, Width: 5.7 cm

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