Chamsa With Star Of David Wood Carving Hamsa Symbol Protection & Good Luck Wall Hanging Hand Miriam

Coop has started carving the fingers of the hand! It is our stock piece. So now you have the option between carved fingers & flat...if you wish for the flat, it may take an extra few days in the process. MEANING: Depicting the open right hand, The Hamsa (Chamsa, Khamsa) is an image recognized & used as a sign of protection in many societies (Muslim, Christians, Egyptians, North Africans, & Jews) throughout history, the chamsa provides defense against the evil eye. It is also known as the Hand of Fatima, so named to commemorate Muhammad's daughter Fatima Zahra. Levantine Christians call it the hand of Mary, for the mother of Jesus. The hamsa's path into Jewish culture, & its popularity particularly in Sephardic & Mizrahi Jewish communities, can be traced through its use in Islam. This favorite Muslim talisman became a part of Jewish tradition in North African & Middle Eastern Jewish communities. Jews retained the Arabic name hamsa, but renamed it the Hand of Miriam, referencing the sister of the biblical Moses, so as not to reference the daughter of the prophet of Islam. The Star of David also called the Shield of David or the Magen David, is a recognized symbol of Jewish identity & Judaism. There are many ideas about the symbolic meaning of the Star of David. Some Kabbalists thought that the six points represented God's absolute rule over the universe in all six directions: north, south, east, west, up, & down. They also believed that the triangles represented humanity's dual nature - good & evil - & that the star could be used as protection against evil spirits. The structure of the star, with two overlapping triangles, has also been thought to represent the relationship between God & the Jewish people. The star that points up symbolizes God & the star that points down represents us here on earth. Yet others have noticed that there are twelve sides on the triangle, perhaps representing the Twelve Tribes. in addition to being a sign of protection, the Hamsa also represents blessings, power, & strength. It can be displayed with the fingers pointing up or down. My (Katrina) personal feeling is with fingers upward the Hamsa represents protection, & with fingers pointing downward the Hamsa pours blessings upon the household. Coop keyholes the back of the Hamsa so it can be displayed in either direction. SIZE: 11.5 tall by 10.5 wide THE CARVING: Our carvings are single pieces of western red cedar, designed & carved to be wall hangings. Each carving begins as a 1 X 12-inch cedar board. While we use power tools (Scroll Saw, Rotary shaft Tool, handheld detail sanders etc.), we use no lasers, CNC machines or computer-operated cutting machines. All work is done with our hands & eyes... We cut the 2-dimensional blanks with scroll & jig saws (double-sized custom orders have to be cut with a jigsaw). Carving is done with rotary shaft tools & disc grinders. The 80 grit sanding is the final phase of the carving process, removing the nicks & gouges from the carving tools, & finishes the shaping of the weave. The next 2 sandings with 120 & then 220 grit finishes the smoothing & polishing. They are finished with Clear Danish Oil to seal the piece, bringing out the grain & the color. Chamsa With Star Of David Wood Carving Hamsa Symbol Protection & Good Luck Wall Hanging Hand Miriam