Original Acrylic with metallic acrylic elements

10" x 10" on Canvas.

The Hamsa, meaning 5 in Arabic, or Chamesh in Hebrew, is an ancient symbol shared amongst various groups in the Middle-East and North-Africa representing protection from the evil eye and abundance. In Judaism it is often associated with the hand of Miriam, sister of Moses. In Islam, it is the hand of Fatima.
A Chai in the center symbolizes life, the numerical equivalent of the Hebrews letters Chet and Yud equaling 18. The Chai symbol makes this Hamsa distinctly Jewish.

Because there is a shared affinity across cultures in the region, some Jews wear a Hamsa not only because of its beauty and symbolism, but that it can also allow a displaying of one's Jewish identity with a level of ambiguity since it is not exclusively Jewish.