Amulets: Sacred Charms Of Power And Protection

Rating:
Summary: and a half Stars - Excellent Book on the Topic
Review: Sheila Paine is an expert on tribal societies and textiles, and is the author of several books covering textiles and their tribal use. This book, Amulets, is a source of history, cultural background, stories and photographs of amulets the author has collected from her travels to more than thirty countries.

The book is a lovely presentation. Printed on glossy paper, it has detailed photos of the amulets covering each page of the book along with a caption for each picture so you know exactly what you are looking at as well as where it came from in just a brief view of the material. This book reads like a museum catalogue, and the discussion of the material is at the same high level, to the author's credit.

The photos are not limited to the amulets alone, but also present us with pictures that express the culture of the people who produce these spiritual works of art. Tribal photos, showing the use of amulets in their daily dress or their festive dress, both from the past as well as modern day give the reader the background and good visual references for the culture. Amulets are not just small bits of bone or stone, but can be as complex as tribal masks, woven hats or cloth, pottery animals or elaborate shields. The variety presented in this book gives us a very large picture of the topic where many of us would only be familiar with a few.

The book is a good reference on the cultural aspects of amulets, as well as a basic study on some tribal culture. If you are not familiar with either topic, this book presents a good base to the study and is easy to understand and follow. While it is not National Geographic, it is just as easy to read, and holds your interest. Nothing dry and boring here.

The layout of the book is by what the amulet is made of, such as "Buttons, beads and blue" or "Hands and crosses". If you are just "cruising" through the book, the Table of Contents gives you a place to start. The Bibliography is quite extensive and presents many sources that you may not have seen before. And the index is extensive, well thought out and makes for easy reference. There is even a "Picture Credits" giving the photographers credit for their contributions.

The research, the notations of how the amulets are used and the history of the pieces discussed in the book makes this an excellent reference for those who are serious about studying this topic. While not a book on "magic", it is a book on an aspect of magic we practice and its cultural and sociological background. It borders on anthropological, but is fascinating for the history, lore and background it will give the average practitioner.

This is a very fine, intelligent and professional presentation and discussion of a topic that will interest many. I recommend this to those who have an interest in Amulets, as well as those who study cultural and tribal history. This is an excellent reference on the work, and one that will be at home on the coffee table or in the serious library. boudica