[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams Erlikhan,
This is a museum piece especially since it has a full document of Talismanic script inside. Being silver the item itself is Talismanic (Gold the Sun, Silver the Moon) It looks blackened or what is called Neillo which is achieved in two ways... In the old way Acorn charcoal was rubbed into the pattern whereas in the new way last few hundred years) acid was used.
The equivalent in Oman which can be traced possibly to ancient Turkish and Greek origins is the Quran box or Hirz as it is known here. The silver chain is very nice. Naturally regional decoration in each country is different but the idea of the box carrying an important letter and or talismanic verse is the same. People often sealed the box in Oman with pitch. Museum assistance is required to advise on the preservation of the paper document which may be photographed (you may want to do that so a full translation can be done correctly from the photo as the paper will deteriorate if handled too much), treated and perhaps sealed behind glass ?

The only proper appraisal I have seen was done in a little pamphlet book by Ruth Hawley called "Omani Silver" now out of print but the printer was Longman of London and New York. Her research is absolutely superb !!!
ISBN number 0-582-78070-5
The author will take this item through a roller coaster ride from India through Oman onto ancient Ur of the Chaldes , Sumerian Minoan, Egyptian, West Asian, Turkoman, Norwegian, Swedish, Roman, Palestinian, Jordanian, Turkish and Greek... and any others I've ommitted ! The detail is very good since items are not viewed in isolation but it can be seen where international comparisons can be followed and linked. This small, packed, 30 page pamphlet is a benchmark publication and the only real proper researched study into Omani Silver...ever !

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Beautifully written and fantastically informative write up Ibrahiim! Thank you so much. While I've heard of these amuletic containers, I have never heard of one still containing the actual written paper! I've always associated niello with Caucasian and in some cases Central Asian areas, was it well known in other areas of Dar al Islam as well?

All the best,
Jim