LACMA

ShopMembershipMyLACMATickets
LACMA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
info@lacma.org
(323) 857-6000
Sign up to receive emails
Subscribe
© Museum Associates 2026
  • About LACMA
  • Jobs
  • Building LACMA
  • Host An Event
  • Unframed
  • Press
  • FAQs
  • Log in to MyLACMA
  • Privacy Policy
© Museum Associates 2026
Collections

Amulet11th century

On view:
Geffen Galleries
Small silver half-circle amulet box with raised Arabic script border, two suspension rings, and a hinged rectangular bar at top, decorated with relief animal figures in the center field
Silver metal amulet case, D-shaped with a hinged rectangular top bar and two side rings; front face decorated with repoussé animal figures in a central roundel, surrounded by a border of Arabic inscription in relief.
Small hinged metal box of D-shaped form with two iron suspension rings on either side; surface densely covered with cast or engraved figural scene at center and Arabic script borders, with dark patina and areas of corrosion.
Cast bronze amulet case with D-shaped body, two suspension rings at sides, and raised Arabic script along the top register above a central figural scene with human and animal forms within scrolling decoration.

Unknown, Amulet, 11th century, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Title
Amulet
Place Made
Iran
Date Made
11th century
Medium
Silver, cast
Dimensions
Height: 1 7/16 in. (3.65 cm); Width: 1 7/8 in. (4.76 cm)
Credit Line
The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost
Accession Number
M.2002.1.545a-b
Classification
Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area
Art of the Middle East: Islamic
Curatorial Notes

An amulet or talisman is generally an ornament, small piece of jewelry, or indeed any object believed to provide its owner protection against evil, danger, or disease, something known in all cultures. In Islamic lands, they might carry inscriptions from the Qur’an or bear astrological symbols, among other things. At the center of each side of this cast-silver amulet, a warrior armed with a sword and shield and mounted on a caparisoned horse is attacked by a lion. Surrounding the scene is a verse from the beginning of Qur’an Sura Al-Ikhlas (112), proclaiming the unity of God. Twin loops attached on either side suggest the amulet was worn as a necklace. The removable cylindrical top may once have held a handwritten prayer or invocation in support of the amulet’s protective function.

2024

Selected Bibliography

  • Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles. Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015.

Related Unframed

Related Unframed

Celebrating Black Joy and Liberation for Juneteenth
Celebrating Black Joy and Liberation for Juneteenth
  • June 17, 2022
  • Naima J. Keith
New Betye Saar Acquisitions
New Betye Saar Acquisitions
  • March 11, 2020
  • Carol S. Eliel
The Modern Golem
The Modern Golem
  • September 19, 2013
From the Ground: A Character in Two LACMA Exhibitions
From the Ground: A Character in Two LACMA Exhibitions
  • August 19, 2013
  • Leslie Jones, Sienna Brown
A Peek into the Newly Reinstalled Ancient Egyptian Galleries
A Peek into the Newly Reinstalled Ancient Egyptian Galleries
  • January 19, 2011