Amulets

Fülszöveg

All over the world, throughout history, amulets have offered protection against negative forces, whether witchcraft, the evil eye, enemies, sickness or accident. Intricately beautiful or starkly simple, they come in an astonishing variety of guises, from stones, shells and seeds, through animal tails, teeth and claws, to beads, mirrors, needles and bells.
With over 400 superb illustrations, this global survey of a remarkable phenomenon explores all aspects of amulets, not only the substances and symbolism from which they derive, but also the people and objects they protect. Worn as necklaces, sewn to clothing, painted on buildings or hung up in vehicles, they guard babies and brides; warriors, hunters and travellers; pockets and purses; livestock, crops and houses. Malign spirits and hobgoblins at crossroads have always been feared, but modern dangers - car crashes, new diseases, even mobile phones - have ensured an abiding faith in the magical protection that amulets afford us.... Tovább

Fülszöveg

All over the world, throughout history, amulets have offered protection against negative forces, whether witchcraft, the evil eye, enemies, sickness or accident. Intricately beautiful or starkly simple, they come in an astonishing variety of guises, from stones, shells and seeds, through animal tails, teeth and claws, to beads, mirrors, needles and bells.
With over 400 superb illustrations, this global survey of a remarkable phenomenon explores all aspects of amulets, not only the substances and symbolism from which they derive, but also the people and objects they protect. Worn as necklaces, sewn to clothing, painted on buildings or hung up in vehicles, they guard babies and brides; warriors, hunters and travellers; pockets and purses; livestock, crops and houses. Malign spirits and hobgoblins at crossroads have always been feared, but modern dangers - car crashes, new diseases, even mobile phones - have ensured an abiding faith in the magical protection that amulets afford us.
Sheila Paine is a world expert on tribal societies and textiles. Her previous publications include Embroidered Textiles: Traditional Patterns from Five Continents and the trilogy The Afghan Amulet: Travels from the Hindu Kush to Razgrad, The Golden Horde: Travels from the Himalaya to Karpathos and The Linen Goddess: Travels from the Red Sea to Prizren.
With 431 illustrations, 404 in colour
On the cover:
front: Jewish hand amulet with bent thumb, Essaouira, Morocco. Photo Charles and Patricia Aithie
spine: Fica amulet in coral, Italy. Collection Dreyfus-Best, Switzerland. Photo Beatriz Chadour-Sampson
back, left to right: Dancer wearing turquoise jewelry, Leh, northern India. Photo Paul Harris
Maori woman wearing pendants and moko tattoos. Photo Sheila Paine
Uighur boy with neck amulet and red rag, Tashkurgan, south-west China. Photo Sheila Paine
Thames Hudson Vissza