Title: Necklace with Porte Koran (xirsi)
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Permanent Link: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00083075/00001
 Material Information
Title: Necklace with Porte Koran (xirsi)
Physical Description: Silver, agate, amber, ivory 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm)
Creator: Somali People
Donor: Katheryne Loughran and John Loughran, President, Foundation for Cross Cultural Understanding ( donor )
 Subjects
Subject: Exhibition -- Between the Beads: Reading African Beadwork
Spatial Coverage: Africa -- Somalia
 Notes
Abstract: Married Somali women collected lavish jewelry to demonstrate personal wealth and economic independence. In addition to its opulence, this elaborate necklace provides the wearer with protection from disease and the evil eye, both from the amber beads and the koranic script inserted into the tubular pendant (porte Koran), known as a xirsi, or “protection.” Amber has an ancient reputation as a medicinal and spiritually protective substance, perhaps because rubbing amber produces an electrical charge. Amber, copal and other yellow or red stones, such as red agate and carnelian, are seen as having similar prophylactic and healing properties.
 Record Information
Bibliographic ID: UF00083075
Volume ID: VID00001
Source Institution: Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art
Holding Location: Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art
Rights Management: All rights reserved by the source institution and holding location.
Resource Identifier: 2005.28.2

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