Framed Antique Egyptian Bedouin Silver and Amber Seal of Solomon Zar Amulet. The large seal is surrounded by images of fish and flowers, in a syncretic blend of Islamic and Greek motifs. Silvered beads and two amber wheels form the bulk of the decorations on the fiber and chain necklace. The Seal of Solomon (or Star of David) here is less likely a symbol of Judaica and moreso meant to bring good luck and triumph over adversity. Attached to a red velvet background in the frame. 

Overall Size: 16 5/8 x 24 5/8 in. 

Sight Size: 11 1/2 x 17 in. 

Zar amulets are silver amulets worn by participants in the Zar ritual, a pre-Islamic Bedouin magical ceremony that has been preserved into the present day in modern Egypt. Zar, coming from a word in Arabic for “visitation,” entails the use of ritual drumming and music while dancers (mostly female) adorned with specialized mystical jewelry attain a trance state and are visited or possessed by friendly spirits. The intention of the Zar amulet is to both facilitate the appearance of the spirit and protect from the interference of malign spirits. The word “Zar” (or variants like Zār, Tsar) is so old that it has multiple meanings depending on context and location: it can mean gold/wealth in Persian, a ruler/emperor in Slavic (like Tsar/Czar), a spirit/demon in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, a strange/foreign person in Hebrew, and is even the currency code for the South African Rand (ZAR). The amulets in particular are the most broad-reaching phenomenon, with regional variants found throughout Africa, the Middle East, and even parts of Eastern Europe and Asia. 

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