Amulet for Woman in Childbirth (Amsterdam)
This printed amulet to protect a woman in childbirth features a central scene depicting Adam and Eve and several animals in the Garden of Eden, with a snake coiled around the forbidden “tree of knowledge.” The inscription in the center also invokes the names of angels associated with banishing the demon Lilith, who, according to folklore, was Adam’s first wife. Psalm 121 is written at the bottom of the amulet. On the left is a cedar of Lebanon, below which is a cherub holding a quill and writing, and at the bottom is a figure holding a sun and moon and stars. On the right is a date tree, above another cherub, and below is King David holding a harp.
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Credits
Courtesy GFC Trust / William L. Gross. Photo by Ardon bar Hama.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.
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This early printed amulet from Germany, meant as protection for a woman in childbirth, is adorned with woodcuts illustrating the Hebrew months of the year. The main panel, framed by images of the…
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