Chaimali

Ind. No. 121: Chaimali, a rectangular amulet case of low-grade, cast silver, hanging from a broken chain. The case features a sliding lid on the narrow upper side. It is decorated with relief depictions of Saint George spearing the dragon on one side and the Virgin Mary with Christ Child on the other side. The depictions are surrounded by floral motifs and a decorative frame. The details of the iconography are engraved. The chaimalia were worn as amulets around the neck and were also used as cases for special items with protective properties, such as flowers from the epitaph, cotton with oil from pilgrimages, etc. Spells written on paper, known as diakavastika, were also hidden in such cases. This folk practice was also common in the Balkans and the East (for similar examples and references, see Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 1996, 202-203 and 233 note 80). Dimensions: 7.7 x 6.4 x 0.7 cm.