"Hamsa Shield"

The Hamsa is an amulet popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa, commonly used in jewelry and wall hangings. Depicting the open right hand, an image recognized as a sign of protection throughout history, the Hamsa is believed by Jews, Muslims, and others to provide defense against the evil eye. It has been theorized that its origins lie in Ancient Egypt or Carthage, modern-day Tunisia, and may have been associated with the goddess Tanit.

I hold this image close to my heart, for the Hamsa is one of the few sacred symbols revered equally by Jewish and Arab peoples alike. In a time of war between them, it stands as a shared prayer, a reminder of the protection and the peace we all long for. I wish I could place it everywhere, as a call for healing between two peoples who carry the same hope in their hands.

This image was originally created as a hand-pulled silk-screen serigraph in the late 1980s. The original edition is no longer available, and it is now offered as a fine art print reproduction.