The Hand of Fatima: The Khamsa in the Arab-Islamic World (Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1 the Near and Middle East, 170)

The Hand of Fatima traces the khamsa , or hand motif, across the Arab-Islamic world and beyond. It explores multifarious khamsa s, from amulets to fine art, with a special focus on the hand symbol in Algeria, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and Shi?ism. Contents Preface Acknowledgements The Life of Eva-Maria von Kemnitz The Works of Eva-Maria von Kemnitz Prologue: The Khamsa and Me Notes on Transliteration Chapter 1 Academic Research on the Hand Symbol The State of the Art Chapter 2 The Symbolism of the Hand 1 The Number Five* 2 Theological Associations 3 Belief in the Evil Eye 4 Amulets in Islamic Law and Practice 5 What is a Talisman? Chapter 3 Types of Khamsas 1 The Shape of the Hand 2 Inscriptions 3 Anthopomorphic Khamsas 4 Khamsas upon Khamsas 5 Eyes 6 Wheels 7 Animals 7.1 Fish 7.2 Doves 7.3 Salamanders and Lizards 7.4 Snakes 7.5 Turtles 7.6 Eagles 8 Swords 9 Crescent Moons 10 Variations throughout the Middle East, Central Asia, and Afghanistan 11 The Foulet Khamsa 12 The Khomissar 13 The Lūḥa 14 Coral and Turquoise 15 General Appreciation Chapter 4 Outside the Realm of the Amulet 1 Doors 2 Lanterns 3 Domestic and Personal Items 4 Healing Bowls 5 Slates for Schoolchildren (Lūḥas) 6 Prayer Rugs and Other Weavings 7 Tombstones 8 Popular Idioms 9 Moving beyond the Personal Chapter 5 The Khamsa in the Iberian Peninsula and Brazil 1 Al-Andalūs 2 The Cellars of Cardenal Cisneros 3 Notable Pieces 4 The Figa Amulet 5 The Symbol of the Hand in Colonial Brazil 6 Some Final Remarks Chapter 6 Protective Power: The Khamsa in the Military and Politics 1 Banners 2 The Khamsa Symbol and Statehood: The Case of Algeria 3 The Republic of Abkhazia 4 Logos and Marketing Chapter 7 On Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ 1 Her Birth and Childhood 2 Her Marriage and Children 3 A Helping Hand Chapter 8 The Hand Symbol in Shiʿism 1 Shiʿism, the Metaphysical, and the Occult 2 Five Fingers of the Hand: The Panjtan 3 Fāṭima as Venus? 4 Panjtan Hands 5 The Hands of Allāh, ʿAlī, and ʿAbbās 6 ʿAlams 7 The Hand as Amulet 8 Concluding Remarks Chapter 9 Contemporary Art, Fashion, and Design 1 Iranian Artists 1.1 Charles Hossein Zenderoudi 1.2 Farideh Zariv 1.3 Zara Mandana Fard 2 Turkish Artists 3 Artists from the Arab World and North Africa 3.1 Laila Shawa 3.2 Farid Belkahia 3.3 Karim El Attaoui 3.4 Fatna Gbouri 3.5 Hafida Zizi 3.6 Rachid Koraïchi 3.7 Mohamed Boumehdi 3.8 Farida Rahmani 3.9 Rabih Alameddine 4 Exhibitions 5 Putting a Price on the Khamsa: Auctions, Collectors, and Museum Collections 6 Museum Highlights 7 Commercialization Bibliography Index "The Hand of Fatima traces the development and symbolism ascribed to the hand motif in the Arab and Islamic world, and beyond. Richly illustrated, it details the many types of khamsas produced historically and today - such as khamsas with swords, and khamsas with eagles - and the many objects on which khamsas appear, such as on amulets and flags. It traces the journey of the khamsa into the contemporary world of social and fine art, including museum highlights. Special sections are dedicated to the khamsa in Algeria; cultural crossover in Spain, Portugal, and Brazil; and the symbol of the hand in Shi'ism"-- Provided by publisher The Hand of Fatima traces the development and symbolism ascribed to the hand motif in the Arab and Islamic world, and beyond. Richly illustrated, it details the many types of khamsas produced historically and today – such as khamsas with swords, and khamsas with eagles – and the many objects on which khamsas appear, such as on amulets and flags. It traces the journey of the khamsa into the contemporary world of social and fine art, including museum highlights. Special sections are dedicated to the khamsa in Algeria; cultural crossover in Spain, Portugal, and Brazil; and the symbol of the hand in Shiʿism.