Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Humans have sought protection from pain, harm, and negative forces since time immemorial. In Muslim lands, invocations to God and verses from the Qur’an are believed to be especially protective, and so appear on various objects over the centuries.
In this fascinating video by University of Michigan art historian Dr. Christiane Gruber, discover two such amulets held in the Aga Khan Museum that were made to safeguard their owners and wearers: a tiny 11th-century Egyptian printed sheet of paper and a large 19th-century Iranian talismanic chart inked on gazelle skin. Their Arabic-script written and geometric contents also appear on coins, arms and armor, and talismanic shirts, revealing a larger material urge to bring spiritual blessings in close proximity to — and, at times, even absorption into — the physical body.
To learn more about this object in the Museum's Collection (accession number AKM508): agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/printed-amulet-with-box-akm508
The Museum’s Peer Perspective series features fascinating commentary and little-known facts from globally recognized scholars who have helped us open new windows on the masterworks in our Collection.
Bringing online Museum experiences to you is part of our mission to connect cultures and promote understanding between peoples. To learn more about how you can support the Museum by making a donation or becoming a Friend or Patron, please visit: agakhanmuseum.org/support
Humans have sought protection from pain, harm, and negative forces since time immemorial. In Muslim lands, invocations to God and verses from the Qur’an are believed to be especially protective, and so appear on various objects over the centuries.
In this fascinating video by University of Michigan art historian Dr. Christiane Gruber, discover two such amulets held in the Aga Khan Museum that were made to safeguard their owners and wearers: a tiny 11th-century Egyptian printed sheet of paper and a large 19th-century Iranian talismanic chart inked on gazelle skin. Their Arabic-script written and geometric contents also appear on coins, arms and armor, and talismanic shirts, revealing a larger material urge to bring spiritual blessings in close proximity to — and, at times, even absorption into — the physical body.
To learn more about this object in the Museum's Collection (accession number AKM508): agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/printed-amulet-with-box-akm508
The Museum’s Peer Perspective series features fascinating commentary and little-known facts from globally recognized scholars who have helped us open new windows on the masterworks in our Collection.
Bringing online Museum experiences to you is part of our mission to connect cultures and promote understanding between peoples. To learn more about how you can support the Museum by making a donation or becoming a Friend or Patron, please visit: agakhanmuseum.org/support
