Bidspirit auction | Silver Case for Amulet –

Silver Case for Amulet – Italy, 19th Century - Amulet case. [Italy, 19th century]. Silver, cast, repoussé, and engraved (marked with unidentified mark, rooster, facing rightward, encircled by round frame). Amulet case, with front design typical of 18th-century Italian amulets, but with flat and plain back. Front adorned with Rococo-style patterns. Toward the top, a canopy-like ornament surmounted by a clover-shaped suspension device; at bottom, an ornament in the form of a cluster of grapes. Three cast ornaments are soldered onto the center: at right, the image of a priestly miter engraved with the (Hebrew) inscription ”Shaddai” (one of the names of the Almighty, typically appearing on mezuzah covers); in the middle, a depiction of the Ark of the Covenant bearing an identical inscription; and on the left, an image representing an altar. The amulet is to be inserted through an aperture, opened and closed by means of a hinged door. The reverse side of the case bears a hatched pattern of diagonal lines, with a Star of David at center. Height: 13.2 cm. Width: 8.7 cm. Thickness: 1.2 cm. Weight: 155 g. Good condition.