Afghan Hand of Fatima Panel
Shi'a (?) Afghan
Emirate of Afghanistan
Mid- 20th century
Wood, paint
Height: 24,4cm
Width Top: 16,5cm
Width Bottom: 13,3cm
Collection Date: 2011
Collection Number: 106

Ex. American Art Market (2011)

A very decorative Afghan wooden panel depicting the Hand of Fatima. The painted wooden panel of hamsa, or more specifically in Islam, the Hand of Fatima. The five fingers of the hand are associated with the five pillars of Islam, while the central circle of the palm is an eye of a bird. There is untranslated script (Farsi (?) Dari (?)) within the hand, likely religious in subject, possibly Koranic verses.

In an attempt to decipher the iconology, its interpretation differs throughout cultures, religion, and regions. There are various colorations that distinguish segments of the hand that place it together in meaning. The central fingers look to symbolize a mehraab while the two outside central fingers are the marinets of a mosque. The circle of the palm holds an eye that also serves as a birds head with a protruding beak and neck. It is unclear what the bird symbolizes.

The depictions of the hand, the eye, and the number five in Arabic tradition are related to warding off the evil eye to protect against the malicious stare that can often cause illness, death, and unluckiness. Panels of the Hand of Fatima are often hung on walls or doorways to offer protection or good luck. On the reverse side of the panel, there is more untranslated script, possibly a prayer. A very intriguing panel. The previous owner had stated that it had come from Afghanistan around the 1950s.