The Khamsa
The open-hand amulet of the Maghreb and the wider Middle East, called the Hand of Fatima after the Prophet's daughter in Muslim usage and the Hand of Miriam in Jewish usage, hung in homes, worn as jewelry, and painted on doorways, cradles, and vehicles against the evil eye. The silver khamsa was the standard talisman of North African Jews and Muslims alike, made in every register from plain sheet silver to fine filigree set with coral and enamel. The open palm, shared with the wider Mediterranean hand-amulet tradition, reaches back to Punic and ancient Near Eastern hands of blessing, so the fo