Hamsa amulet c. 1920

This is an anonymous Hamsa amulet, made with mixed metals and pearls. It’s small and intricate, so take your time! The whole piece has been carefully constructed from many small parts, like the separate fingers, and the hanging pearls, almost like beads of sweat! The bird in the center is particularly interesting, because its been given a higher level of detail than some of the surrounding sections, so your eye goes straight to it. It's like the unknown creator really cared about this little bird. The Hamsa has such an interesting textural contrast between the smoothness of the pearls and the grittiness of the hand. The slightly tarnished color of the metalwork gives the piece a worn and lived-in quality, almost like a favourite old sweater or a well-used tool. This piece reminds me of work by contemporary jewellers like Tom Munsteiner, who takes traditional materials like gemstone and gives them an innovative, modern twist. I love how art objects can communicate so much with so few elements.