Horniman Museum

Horniman Museum

by | Museums & Exhibitions

anthropological collection

Horniman Museum and Gardens

The Horniman Museum and Gardens in London (UK) houses a wonderful anthropology collection. Over 3,000 objects are on display, offering a wide view into how people all over the world experience their life and seek to understand their surroundings. I had the pleasure of visiting the museum and browse its gallery!

The museum was founded by Frederick Horniman, a tea trader who made a fortune with the company his father started. The museum is very clear about the colonial past of the museum and its collections: the collection of ethnographic objects to educate and inform people in Britain about other cultures was only possible in a colonial setting and with a fortune earned by the exploitation of others. The museum actively works with community researchers, artists and creatives on a continuous basis, and it will be interesting to see how this translates into choices and decisions, for example in regard to the Benin bronzes on display.

The central part of the museum, and the part I came to visit in particular, is the World Gallery. Here, showcases form cubicles that each address a continent. Africa, the Americas, Oceania, Asia and Europe are represented by a selection of objects that highlight varying themes. You will find many beautiful examples of ethnographic art, ranging from clothing and adornment to utensils and tools. What I particularly liked is that these are not only aimed at seeing, but at hearing, smelling and touching as well. With the display of Tuareg craftmanship you will find worked leather and a veil weight which are meant to be touched: feeling the patterns below your fingers makes an object come more to life than just by looking at it. The Asian section offers the possibility to smell the medicine of a Bhutan doctor, and throughout the exhibition sounds of song and music are present. These latter can cause somewhat of a drawback though: as they are audible throughout the Gallery, they create permanent more or less noisy surroundings.

The section on Perspectives shows how people aim to understand, control and categorize their world. Lots of amulets and other meaningful objects illustrate the problems and challenges people faced and how they sought to deal with those. I loved the showcase with all sorts of amulets from Great Britain: holed flint as a charm against nosebleeds, ‘hag stones’ to avert witches and pigeon’s feet against cramp are just a few of those. That did bring me to another drawback (well, at least, to me): the museum shop has many lovely and sustainable gift ideas, but nothing relating to the anthropological collection. There are no museum or exhibition catalogues to offer a deeper level of understanding to visitors wanting to learn more. While the museum works hard to engage visitors during their stay, by offering several moments to reflect on one’s own beliefs, values and thoughts in the exhibition, this ends at the door.

Horniman Conservatory

Tuareg objects to touch

Shell ornaments, Oceania

Amulets, Britain

Horniman World Gallery

The museum website does offer more information, though. It has a great and searchable overview of the collections: providing the collections with a more detailed description is a work in progress and will provide a great resource for research. On the website, you will also find information on ongoing collaborations, projects under way and an extensive blog with a wide variety of background stories (found more on those ‘hag-stones’ here!), inviting to keep on reading and exploring.

The museum is surrounded by beautiful gardens, and boasts a really good museum café where I enjoyed a lovely outdoor lunch with a view on the conservatory. It also houses a Butterfly House, an Aquarium and a Natural History Gallery: I did not have a chance to visit those, but I will definitely be back to explore more of this beautiful, colourful and lively museum!

Horniman Museum and Gardens: find out more on the museum website

More on exhibitions and museums in the field of personal adornment, archaeology, ethnography and Islamic art? Find more here, or join the Jewellery List to receive new interesting tips in your inbox!

Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. She considers jewellery heritage and a historic source. She has authored several books on jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, and on archaeological jewellery. Sigrid has lectured for the Society of Jewellery Historians, the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden and the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center, among many others. She curates exhibitions and teaches online courses on jewellery from North Africa & Southwest Asia.

Numerology in jewellery

Numerology in jewellery

by | Magic & Amulets

magic of numbers

Numerology in jewellery from the Middle East

Updated November 21, 2025

Numerology and jewellery: an introduction to numbers in adornment

Numerology—the belief that numbers carry symbolic meaning—has played a subtle yet powerful role in jewellery design across the Middle East and North Africa. In this post, I explore how numbers like three, five and seven are woven into the forms of adornment.

These are not decorative choices alone: they reflect magical thinking, protection, and deeply held cultural associations. From dangling elements arranged in odd-numbered clusters to elements alluding to the heavens, numerology has left its imprint on the very structure of traditional jewellery.

Odd and even: why uneven counts matter in Middle Eastern jewellery

That visualization of numerology starts with the difference between even and uneven numbers. Why is there often an uneven number of dangles on a pendant, for example? In jewellery, symmetry and evenness are preferably avoided. Usually, the number of bells and dangles on a particular pendant or amulet will be uneven, which is believed to be a way of warding off the evil eye.

In some regions, an even number is considered to be outright dangerous as the symmetric perfection of an even number will, it is believed, attract the evil eye. Click here to read more about the evil eye in jewellery.

The power of three: triads, triplets and jewellery symbolism

Three is considered to denote the sacred cycle of life (birth, existence and death) and spells are often recited three times.

Many festivities last for three days to enhance their efficacy and good fortune, and triangles, having three sides, are considered a powerful charm. Three is also the old conjunction of man, woman and child and as such was an important number in Antiquity.

Many deities were grouped into trinities or triads, and one deity could also be venerated in three forms. Those three forms would be based on the cycle of life and death, and usually are some manifestation of beginning, middle and end.

In jewellery, three-sided symbols or forms made of three’s are said to have great power: the six-pointed star of hexagram is a double triangle, for example. The threefold repetition of decorative motifs is another way to include the power of this number in jewellery.

Five and the khamsa: the number 5 in amulets and protection

Five is the number most commonly used in jewellery, and some cultures consider the fifth day of the week, Thursday, to be sacred, believing that anything undertaken on this day has more chance of success than activities undertaken on other days of the week.

That is because the number five is associated with the five pillars of Islam, the five fingers of the hand and the five daily prayers.

Five also has a profound cosmic meaning: it visualizes humankind in the center of the four cardinal directions, and as such is a beautiful metaphor for Creation itself.

In jewellery design, five becomes apparent through the arranging of elements in groups of five, or the number of dangles underneath pendants.

And of course it manifests in the khamsa: click here to read more about the powers and history of the khamsa!

Seven and the starry sky: celestial numbering in jewellery design

Seven has been symbolically meaningful since ancient Egypt, where the goddess Isis, renowned for her magical powers, is surrounded by seven scorpions.

Many shrines in North Africa and Southwest Asia need to be circumambulated seven times. This also holds true for the Kaaba in Mecca, which pilgrims circle seven times counterclockwise.

Seven has a cosmic meaning as well: in Antiquity, the seven visible planets were an important element of astronomy and astrology. Click here to read more about astrology in jewellery.

How numerology operates in Middle Eastern jewellery design

All these numbers are repeatedly worked into general jewellery decoration as well, and that is how numerology influences jewellery design. [1] Take a moment to closely at your favourite piece of jewellery. Count its dangles, observe its design: do you notice a motif often occurs in three’s, five’s or seven’s?

Triangles with three points, squares with four points, crosses with five points (the intersection is seen as a point as well), and their combinations, all provide geometrical decorations generally designed to ward off evil.

When actual, written numbers are worked into a magic square, they combine their powers into an effective amulet tailored for the person wearing it.

Understanding jewellery through numbers: a closing reflection

So you see, the arrangement of elements in jewellery may look general, and even be standardized patterning, but it finds its origin in the highly meaningful rendition of numbers.

The use of numerology in jewellery offers a key to understanding how form and meaning intertwine in traditional adornment of the Middle East and North Africa. Numbers such as three, five and seven are embedded in amulets, pendants and jewellery structures—not simply as decoration, but as carriers of cultural logic, ritual purpose and protective power. For collectors, museum curators or anyone drawn to the material culture of the region, recognising these numeric patterns opens a richer appreciation of both jewellery and the societies that produced it.

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Where can I learn more about symbolism in jewellery design?

Six ways how magic influences jewellery design: want to know how? Download your free e-book on amulets here!

Other jewellery & magic blogs? Browse them all here!

Find out more about the magic of numbers in the e-course on Amulets and Magic in Jewellery!

This post is based on the chapter ‘The Evil Eye and Other Problems’ in my book Desert Silver.

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References

[1] Westermarck, E, 1904. The magic origin of Moorish designs, in: The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol 34

Lead image has been created adapting works from The British Libary and HmmlOrientalia.

The Bedouin Silver blog gives credit where credit is due! Transparent referencing and citing sources helps us all grow. Would you like to do the same and quote this article? Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.

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Magic of Amber

Magic of Amber

by | Magic & Amulets

Magic of amber

amber throughout history

Amber Amulets

Updated Jan 17, 2024

One of the most used components in jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia is amber. This fossilized resin has been popular as adornment since prehistoric times, and has been attributed with a variety of magical capacities throughout millennia. What is the significance of amber? Let’s explore how amber has been the go-to substance in a surprisingly large field of problems!

The power of amber: the Roman period

Amber was already highly valued by the Romans, who attributed a great deal of capacities to this material. It was thought to help against throat diseases, to alleviate fever, solve ear aches and problems with sight, and cure stomach pains and problems in the urinary trajectory. [1]

Notably, amber was believed to be specifically effective for women and children; when a woman dreamt of amber ringer rings, this was considered a beneficial omen. [2]

Its scent may also have played a role in its magical powers: rubbing an amber object firmly produces a resinous fragrance. Evidence of amber dice that have been rubbed vigorously in the past may show that gamers sought to influence their throw by activating the magical powers of amber [3], although, as we shall see, I think its static capacity may also have helped to attract winners’ luck.

The fragrance of amber may also be the reason why it was sometimes burned in ritual settings: archaeology only recovers the remains, but it may have been its smell that was the key behind this practice.

Amber in medieval amulets

Amber continued to be much appreciated in the Middle Ages. What people in Europe thought of its powers only becomes clear in the 13th century, when it is listed in a book on the healing capacities of stones as excellent remedy against stomach ache. [4]

A piece of amber was to be put in wine, beer or water and left to sit there for some time, after which you would take it out and drink the fluid – this method of transferring the magical capacity of a substance to a fluid that can be consumed has existed for millennia.

The use of amber against urinary problems was also still very much alive in the Middle Ages: imbuing milk with amber as described above would lighten your load. Here again, the magic works following the lines of analogy, this time because of its yellow hues.

Coral and amber Draa Valley necklace
A glorious Draa Valley amber and coral necklace with colourful woollen tassels

Amber in amulets from the Middle East

In Arabic, amber is called kahramān. Here another magical use reveals itself: the name is related to kahrabah, meaning electricity. When real amber is rubbed, it becomes slightly static. This makes it an excellent substance to attract the love of a husband, as the Bedouin in Palestine believed. [5]

And who knows, maybe the amber carving of Amor, the god of love, from the Roman period served the same purpose…?

Amber also is very powerful against the evil eye in general. The combination of its fragrance (as was already the case with the Romans) and its quality to keep evil at a distance makes it a highly valued prayer bead: these are also held, rubbed and passed through the fingers many times. [6]

Amber in amulets from North Africa

Like in many other parts of the world, amber is used to dispel teething pains. [7] In a way of analogous magic similar to that of earlier periods and cultures, it is considered a warming and invigorating substance. This is why the Amazigh also consider it very useful against rheuma and respiratory inflictions, as well as against skin diseases.

Additionally, to the Amazigh amber represents the warmth of the sun, and as such forms a natural pair with silver elements that invoke the power of the moon. As amber was so highly valued for its beneficial properties as well as visual expression of wealth, amber beads were often strung with small felt pieces in between to keep the beads from damaging. [8]

The long history of amber as an amulet

So what you see, is that the qualities of amber occur in more or less similar forms time and again. It was believed to be useful against ear aches in both ancient Rome and modern Egypt, it works its magic against stomach aches and respiratory problems from the Maghreb to the Levant, and has helped babies through their teething pains since the Middle Ages. Amber has captivated the human imagination since forever!

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What other materials were used in amulets?

Want to see more? Check out the video page, where I’m showing a stunning necklace from Morocco with absolutely gorgeous amber beads!

Find out more about the magic of materials in the e-course on Amulets and Magic in Jewellery!

There is a free e-book on amulets in jewellery ready for you here…discover how they work!

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References

[1] Koster, A. 2013. The Cemetery of Noviomagus, p. 174

[2] Davis, G. 2018. Rubbing and Rolling, Burning and Burying: The Magical Use of Amber in Roman London, in: Parker, A. & S. McKie 2018. Material Approaches to Roman Magic. Occult Objects and Supernatural Substances. Oxbow Books, Oxford, p. 71

[3] Idem, p. 75

[4] Hildegard von Bingen, Heilsame Schöpfung, übersetzt und eingeleitet von Ortrun Riha, Beuroner Kunstverlag 2016, p. 278

[5] Biasio, E. 1998. Beduinen im Negev, Zürich, p. 221

[6] Idem, p. 221-222

[7] Draguet, M. 2021. Berber Memories, p. 350

[8] Berber Women of Morocco, Fondation Pierre Bergé/Yves Saint Laurent 2014, p. 73

Would you like to quote this article? Please do! Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only.

A shackled jinn from Oman

A shackled jinn from Oman

by | Magic & Amulets

jewellery as protection

A shackled jinn from Oman

Updated June 25, 2025

Jewellery regularly doubles as protection, as it is worn so close to the body. Often this form of protection is of general nature, but every now and then it makes uses of specific elements to ward off a particular evil. This pendant from Oman hides such an element on its reverse side: a tiny figure of a shackled human form. What does this mean, and what does it tell us about the women who wore this necklace?

The image of a jinn on the Omani kirsh kitab

The disc-shaped pendant is known by several names. The most often used name is somt, which is also used for other round pendants of the same size. [1] In one publication it is called kirsh kitab. [2] A similarly shaped pendant with a comparable reverse side is called kokh, again in one publication: this pendant is decorated with gold leaf on its front side rather than an inscription. [3]

The pendant carries an inscription on its front side. This is the Throne Verse, one of the most powerful verses of the Quran and often used for protection. You will find it often on amulets throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

On the reverse side, in many cases you will find a stylized depiction of a human-shaped figure. This is an image only known to the woman wearing it. You would not be able to see it from the outside. Mostly, this figure is explained as a jinn, held captive by the power of the Throne Verse.

As such, these pendants offer protection from evil spirits in general. The figure however is in some cases said to carry a name. This jinn is not any jinn, but a very particular one. So which jinn is this, and why is it engraved on the back side of an Omani pendant?

The jinn on an Omani pendant: the Bahla Witch?

Forster explains the figure as a representation of the Bahla Witch.[4] Bahla, a fortress town in Oman, has a reputation for the presence of both jinn and witches. [5] The pendant would protect the wearer from witchcraft and jinn alike. As this pendant was worn in a much larger area than just Bahla however, this interpretation may well be true for the inhabitants of the town itself, but there is another possibility that would make sense to many women.

The jinn on an Omani pendant: Umm as-Subyān

This other explanation is that of the human figure as Umm as-Subyān, ‘Mother of Children’. [6] This female jinn is well known beyond Oman and appears also further on the Arab Peninsula. But who is Umm as-Subyān?

In the most benign version, she is said to cause nightmares in children and uncomfortable wet dreams for boys in particular. But, there is more to her than just a night filled with bad dreams. She may be really dangerous.

Anne Regourd has researched how this jinn features in Yemeni oral traditions. [7] These tales share a more gruesome side to Umm as-Subyāns character: she lures young children away from their mothers and eats them, and she also takes newborns. Another tale records how she is capable of possessing young men and women, who then can’t seem to marry, no matter how much they try.

Regourd concludes that Umm as-Subyān is intent on preventing the arrival of children. She tries to prevent marriage altogether, and if a union does succeed, she takes and kills the offspring.

In short, Umm as-Subyān embodies what every woman feared: the inability to have children. [8]

Having children: fertility amulets in the Middle East

Why is not having children something to be afraid of? Fertility was one of the most fundamental aspects of a woman’s life. Having children was important: they assisted from a young age in the daily running of household and work, and would take care of their parents when these grew old. Remember, this is a past in which no retirement funds or care-homes existed!

Not having children could even be reason for divorce. Add to that a high infant mortality rate, and the pressure women were undeer becomes apparent. All over the Arab world, jealous jinn were thought to obstruct attempts at getting pregnant and bearing healthy children.

In this respect, Umm as-Subyān is comparable to for example the Qarina in Egypt [9] and La Taba in Morocco [10]. All three target newborns and young children, and cause infertility or miscarriages in young women.

Many women took precautions to make sure these jinn were rendered harmless, and these precautions often took the form of personal adornment. Jewellery is worn close to the body, and so forms a barrier between you, and the outer world full of dangers.

An Omani pendant with a hidden message

In the case of Umm as-Subyān, two ways of averting her are in both the name humans use when talking about her, and the way she is depicted on the pendant. The name ‘Mother of Children’ uses reverse magic. She is called by the exact opposite of her actions, a form often seen in informal magical practices around the world.

In the image on the pendant, the stylized figure is shackled around her ankles and wrists. Immobilized, she is not able to come for the wearers’ children or prevent her from getting married.

Jewellery reveals a woman’s world of worry

As with anything jinn-related, there is not one definitive identification or final explanation. With the presence of the Throne Verse, the pendant protects against evil influences in general.

The tiny shackled figure, in the story of Umm as-Subyān, reveals a world of worry for women, and so the pendant protects them from what well may have been one of their worst fears.

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Where can I find more on women and amulets in the Middle East?

Find out more about the historic value of amulets in the e-course on Amulets and Magic in Jewellery!

Or start by downloading the free e-book on amulets and jewellery here.

More posts on jewellery and amulets? Browse them all here!

Join the Jewellery List and receive new articles, jewellery news and more in your inbox!

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References

See the book chapter on these amulets by James Redman, which discusses the texts and context of precisely this pendant type in much more depth. This chapter was published in Nov 2020, after the writing of this blog post. Highly recommended reading!

 [1] A. Forster 2000. Disappearing Treasures of Oman. Archway Books, Somerset, p. 38-39

[2] P. Shelton, R. Richmond & M. Morris, Oman Adorned.

[3] J.S. Rajab 1998, Silver Jewellery of Oman. Tareq Rajab Museum, Kuwait, p. 63

[4] Forster 2000, p. 40

[5] See L.J. Borger 2011, By the Pricking of My Thumbs, Something Wicked This Way Comes: Omani Perceptions of the Supernatural. Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 1039., for a discussion of the supernatural in Omani society.

[6] P. Shelton, R. Richmond & M. Morris, Oman Adorned, p. 102; L. Mols, Kunst uit Zilver. Traditionele sieraden van Oman, in: L. Mols & B. Boelens (red) Oman, p. 137

[7] A. Regourd 2012, Représentations d’Umm Sibyan dans les contes yéménites : de la dévoreuse d’enfant à la djinniyya possédant les humains, in: A. Caiozzo & N. Ernoult (eds), Femmes médiatrices et ambivalentes. Mythes et imaginaires, Paris, Colin, pp. 63 – 72

[8] Regourd 2012, p. 72

[9] See my article in RAWI Magazine for the qarina

[10] J. Bois, La Sorcellerie au Maroc, nouvelle édition 2014, Dar al-Amane, Rabat p. 198.

The Bedouin Silver blog gives credit where credit is due! Transparent referencing and citing sources helps us all grow. Would you like to do the same and quote this article? Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.

Knot magic in adornment

Knot magic in adornment

by | Magic & Amulets

the magic of tying

Knot magic in adornment

Updated Jun 25, 2025

In many forms of adornment from the Middle East and North Africa, you’ll find a form of intricacy. Interwoven patterns, knots and complex shapes are added to jewellery and adornment for a reason: there is power in intricacy. That power goes back to the cultural significance of knotting, tying and binding.  In this article, we’ll have a look at the magical meanings behind that simple act we all carry out on a daily basis, and that is tying a knot in something.

The history of knot spells

Knots are an ambivalent symbol; they are believed to have curative properties, but they are also said to restrain, bind and strangle.

Even in everyday language, the mention of knotting and untying is often used as a reference to having or solving problems: in Cairo for example, the question ‘Did you get untied?’ actually means ‘Did you solve your problems?’ [1] This power attached to knots dates back deep in in history. One way of undoing magic spells cast on you is untying the knots with which these have been bound together: untying knots is undoing magic.

Babylonian cuneiform texts from as far back as the eighth century BC reveal spells using knots [2], and in ancient Egypt, the hieroglyph denoting protection depicts a series of knots in a rope. In ancient Rome, the Hercules knot was regarded as a powerful talismanic symbol.

Knot magic in the Middle East: what do knots mean?

Knots have many meanings in magic: they can bind, but also strangle. In contemporary Egypt, a wool cord with seven knots, called an ‘uqad,is used to combat fever. The knots are tied by a ritual practitioner who subsequently blows on them, a practice also mentioned in sura 113 of the Qur’an.

The symbolism of knots in the Middle East is powerful. In Syria, both bride and groom take care not to have anything knotted in or on their wedding costume in order to ensure fertility and health. A Palestine lullaby sings ‘Oh our moon, oh sleepy one, loosen your girth and go to sleep’: the loosening of the girdle brings about a state of relaxedness and comfort. [3]

The importance of knots in transition stages is illustrated by a death ritual of the Mandeans in Iraq and Iran. When a sick person is dying, he is washed and clothed in new clothes, but the knot of his girdle is left unfinished. Upon the moment of actual passing, the knot is completed, and after death the last, final knot is tied and the girdle arranged properly. [4]

Knot magic as protection

Intricate knots are often present in amulets: their goal is to utterly confuse the evil eye in order to distract its attention from the wearer or inhabitant of the house. Knot patterns on engraved seals serve the same purpose, besides their wonderful ornamental value, and mark the end of Quranic verses on written amulets. [5]

Written spells are sometimes seen encircled by a border of knots or braids [6], another example of the way these intricate motifs helped to keep evil out and thus enhance the power of the spell.

Tying a knot in your hair was also considered an effective way against spirit possession in Sudan: if you had been previously possessed and were to attend a possession ritual for someone else, tying a knot into your hair would ensure you would not be bothered by a spirit. [7]

What do knots of fabric in trees mean?

Related to tying knots is the use of textile scraps in places that carry significance. Trees near shrines, graves, tombs and (surprisingly often) ancient ruins sometimes carry worn and bleached pieces of textile in their branches. These are tied there on behalf of sick people, hoping the saint, deceased or spirit of the place will heal the owner.

That this practice is still very much alive is for example seen in the visitor regulations of the Shah-i-Zinda mausoleum complex in Samarkand: the rules clearly state that tying a knot is forbidden.

Tying knots: a small ritual of the everyday

You see how a seemingly mundane object, the knot, may represent so much more than just a utilitarian aspect of life. Because beyond the directly utilitarian, the act of tying a knot is often highly meaningful, but after a while all we are left with is the material component of ritual: a simple knot.

Although these materials remnants of magic are inconspicuous and often do not survive in the archaeological record [8], they are among the most used forms of everyday magic and can be seen everywhere if you realize where to look!

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Where can I find more on everyday practices in magic and jewellery?

Find out more about the magic of acts and gestures in the e-course on Amulets and Magic in Jewellery,

…explore more articles on magic in jewellery from the Middle East here…

or download the free e-book on amulets and talismans!

This post is partly based on the chapter ‘The Evil Eye and Other Problems’ on magic and jewellery in my book Desert Silver.

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References

[1] Early, E. 1993. Baladi women of Cairo: playing with an egg and a stone. American University in Cairo Press, Cairo, p. 127

[2] Day, C. 1950. Knots and Knot Lore, in: Western Folklore, Vol 9, no. 3

[3] Masterman. E.W.G. 1901. Dress and Personal Adornment in Modern Palestine, in: The Biblical World, Vol. 18 No. 3

[4] Drower, E.S. 1937, The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran, p. 260

[5] An example is seen in V. Porter, 2017. Arabic and Persian Seals and Amulets in the British Museum, p. 179

[6] Nünlist, T, 2019. Enzauberte Amulettrollen, in: Günther, S. and D. Pielow (eds), Die Geheimnisse der Oberen und Unteren Welt: Magie im Islam zwischen Glaube und Wissenschaft, Brill, Leiden, p. 252

[7] Zvenkovsky, S. 1950. Zar and Tambura as practiced by the women of Omdurman, in: Sudan Notes and Records Vol. 31, no. 1, p. 81

[8] Like noted for example by Cameron Moffett, 2019, in The Amulets of Roman Wroxeter: Evidence for Everyday magic, in: Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society 94, p. 46

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Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.