The origin of the iconography on Bahariya amulets

The origin of the iconography on Bahariya amulets - A new hypothesis

by: Sigrid van Roode

Introduction

Until the 1960's women in the Bahariya oasis in Egypt's Western Desert wore a very specific amulet. The origin of this amulet has long been subject of discussion. They have been interpreted as derivates of the zar-amulets or imitation Nubian coins, and their possible relation to the Siwa adrim has been investigated as well, but none of these studies have been able to definitively conclude where the unique decoration on the amulets finds its source. In this paper I will attempt to introduce a new perspective on the possible origin of the iconography on this amulet: Coptic magic charms.

The Bahariya amulets

The amulets are discs made of blank metal, circa 6 – 11 cm in diameter. On the top a small loop is attached through which a cord or string could be run; they are reported to have been worn on a twisted cotton ribbon.[1] On the lower side, an uneven number of bells or galagil is attached. According to Fahmy, the disc is locally called loh or galagil, meaning 'writing board' or 'bells'.[2] The research of Weissenberger [3]

, partly based on the earlier research of Fakhry[4], states that these amulets have completely disappeared from the markets.[5] This is also the personal experience from the author: in the last two decades, I have come across an original Bahariya ornament only once. Some thirty years ago, Bliss organized several research field trips to Egypt in which nearly 100 of these discs were described and registered, all of which were made of metal and not of silver. During this study, it became clear that the discs originate from the Bahariya oasis itself; previously it was thought they were produced in Fayyum or even in Cairo.[6]

Decoration and motifs

In the study of Weissenberger, the Bahariya amulets are grouped into three stylistic groups, that are earlier described by Bliss.

Weissenberger Type I features a anthropomorphic figure, roughly in the shape of an 8. The round head is positioned directly on to the body with no indication of a neck. The head is scratched through several times. The figure holds its arms either upwards or downwards, and is sometimes accompanied by two amorph shapes. The amulet has a border of regularly placed dots. According to Weissenberger, this type makes up almost 50% of the amulets.

Weissenberger Type II features an anthropomorphic figure, with a stylized, almost square body, a round head on a long neck, and arms and legs depicted as sticks. The figure is standing between two stylized vegetal motifs. Below the figure dotted pyramids are shown. The scene is bordered by a straight line instead of the dots occurring in Type I.

Weissenberger Type III features a square, almost architectonic figure with a round human head on a long neck. The squares are decorated with geometrical figures and the figure is flanked by two stylized vegetal motifs. The scene is also bordered by a straight line.

Makers

The Bahariya amulets are known to have been made by two Coptic silversmiths.[7] They lived in the oasis until one of them died, and the other one decided to move out of the oasis and settled in Cairo. These silversmiths were the only ones that created these discs: with their demise and relocation, no other discs were made. From that moment onwards, the people of the oasis had to buy their silver jewelry from elsewhere; the two Copts were the last silversmiths in Bahariya. This limited producing of the discs may be one of the explanations for their current invisibility: there never were many of them to begin with.

Weissenberger suggests that the two silversmiths may not have been as well versed in both technique and decoration, since they were Copts and had little rapport with Islam.[8] It is however not uncommon for silversmiths to be of another social group or faith than the group the smith is catering to.[9] Most of the silversmiths in the Middle East were Jews up until 1948, and they made jewelry for Muslim, Jewish and Christian clients. Bliss also states that the craftsmen in the oasis were less skilled than their counterparts in Cairo. [10] The other conclusion Weissenberger draws, the Bahariya amulets not being derivats of Nile Valley zar-amulets, is in my view correct. However, in my opinion this is not because the Coptic smiths had no interest in Islamic rituals or were lacking in their own mastering of the art of silversmithing. It is the mere fact that the smiths were Copts that may prove to be the explanation for the iconography on the amulets: not because they were less skilled than Muslim smiths, nor because they had no interest in creating amulets for rituals outside their faith, but because they based their designs on the iconography that was well-known and used in their religion. My hypothesis is that the iconography of the Bahariya amulets is based on Coptic charms.

Introduction
Until the 1960's women in the Bahariya oasis in Egypt's Western Desert wore a very specific amulet. The origin of this amulet has long been subject of discussion. They have been interpreted as derivates of the zar-amulets or imitation Nubian coins, and their possible relation to the Siwa adrim has been investigated as well, but none of these studies have been able to definitively conclude where the unique decoration on the amulets finds its source. In this paper I will attempt to introduce a new perspective on the possible origin of the iconography on this amulet: Coptic magic charms.

The Bahariya amulets
The amulets are discs made of blank metal, circa 6 – 11 cm in diameter. On the top a small loop is attached through which a cord or string could be run; they are reported to have been worn on a twisted cotton ribbon.[1] On the lower side, an uneven number of bells or galagil is attached. According to Fahmy, the disc is locally called loh or galagil, meaning 'writing board' or 'bells'.[2] The research of Weissenberger [3] , partly based on the earlier research of Fakhry[4], states that these amulets have completely disappeared from the markets.[5] This is also the personal experience from the author: in the last two decades, I have come across an original Bahariya ornament only once. Some thirty years ago, Bliss organized several research field trips to Egypt in which nearly 100 of these discs were described and registered, all of which were made of metal and not of silver. During this study, it became clear that the discs originate from the Bahariya oasis itself; previously it was thought they were produced in Fayyum or even in Cairo.[6]

Bahariya amulet of Type I. Note the strikes through the head.
Collection of author

Decoration and motifs
In the study of Weissenberger, the Bahariya amulets are grouped into three stylistic groups, that are earlier described by Bliss.

Weissenberger Type I features a anthropomorphic figure, roughly in the shape of an 8. The round head is positioned directly on to the body with no indication of a neck. The head is scratched through several times. The figure holds its arms either upwards or downwards, and is sometimes accompanied by two amorph shapes. The amulet has a border of regularly placed dots. According to Weissenberger, this type makes up almost 50% of the amulets.

Bahariya amulets Type Ia
Bahariya amulets Type I, from Weissenberger 1998.
Note the strikes through the head; the Leiden Coptic magical book shows an arrow through the head

Weissenberger Type II features an anthropomorphic figure, with a stylized, almost square body, a round head on a long neck, and arms and legs depicted as sticks. The figure is standing between two stylized vegetal motifs. Below the figure dotted pyramids are shown. The scene is bordered by a straight line instead of the dots occurring in Type I.

Bahariya amulets Type II, from Weissenberger 1998

Weissenberger Type III features a square, almost architectonic figure with a round human head on a long neck. The squares are decorated with geometrical figures and the figure is flanked by two stylized vegetal motifs. The scene is also bordered by a straight line.

Bahariya amulets Type III, from Weissenberger 1998

Makers
The Bahariya amulets are known to have been made by two Coptic silversmiths.[7] They lived in the oasis until one of them died, and the other one decided to move out of the oasis and settled in Cairo. These silversmiths were the only ones that created these discs: with their demise and relocation, no other discs were made. From that moment onwards, the people of the oasis had to buy their silver jewelry from elsewhere; the two Copts were the last silversmiths in Bahariya. This limited producing of the discs may be one of the explanations for their current invisibility: there never were many of them to begin with.Weissenberger suggests that the two silversmiths may not have been as well versed in both technique and decoration, since they were Copts and had little rapport with Islam.[8] It is however not uncommon for silversmiths to be of another social group or faith than the group the smith is catering to.[9] Most of the silversmiths in the Middle East were Jews up until 1948, and they made jewelry for Muslim, Jewish and Christian clients. Bliss also states that the craftsmen in the oasis were less skilled than their counterparts in Cairo. [10] The other conclusion Weissenberger draws, the Bahariya amulets not being derivats of Nile Valley zar-amulets, is in my view correct. However, in my opinion this is not because the Coptic smiths had no interest in Islamic rituals or were lacking in their own mastering of the art of silversmithing. It is the mere fact that the smiths were Copts that may prove to be the explanation for the iconography on the amulets: not because they were less skilled than Muslim smiths, nor because they had no interest in creating amulets for rituals outside their faith, but because they based their designs on the iconography that was well-known and used in their religion. My hypothesis is that the iconography of the Bahariya amulets is based on Coptic charms.