Old wooden cattle amulet/container, animal protection from the Middle East/ Central Asia

Description

This carved wooden cattle amulet/container animal protection is roughly carved and in a simple undecorated leaf shape with a smooth survace and a beatiful old patin

Around 1900, used by farmers from the Middle East/ Central Asia

This wooden amulet was bound around the animal’s neck by a string in order to protect it from the evil eye, from illness and accidents.

It had two purposes: identification for the farmers and protection. The animal’s owner could be identified by the shape of the amulet container or by the markings on it. This is an alternative to the branding of animals.

The actual wood amulet consists of a small, multiple folded piece of paper which was inserted in a whole of the wooden container; the hole was then closed with a wooden peg or wax.

Sometimes other items that were thought to have protective powers were used, for example soil from a sacred or holy place or special stones or other powerful holy items

The paper was hand written with a prayer, symbols or formulas from handbooks of magic or from the Koran.

When an animal died or was slaughtered, the prayer or paper was removed from the amulet and let go in a river.
This cattle charm is rare because it still contains the folded paper and the wooden plug. These are often lost and the amulet was normally carefully disposed of if the animal died.

Size: 10.5cm H, 6cm W and 3.5cm D