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Antique 19th Century Ottoman Military Silver-Plated Hamayil (Talismanic Quran Case) with Original Matching Handwritten Mecmua (Prayer & Devotional Manuscript)
Up for sale is a breathtaking, highly rare piece of late 19th-century Ottoman military and religious history. This is a complete, intact, and authentic Soldier’s Belt-Worn Protective Toolkit, featuring a dual-engraved silver-plated amulet case (hamayil) and its perfectly fitted, custom-made handwritten devotional book (mecmua).
True museum-quality artifacts like this—where the protective casing and the exact manuscript it was built to safeguard survive together—are exceptionally difficult to find on the open market.
Item Highlights & Iconography
Dimensions & Portability: The silver-plated case measures approximately 5” x 4”, making it a perfectly compact, pocket-sized tactical talisman. The matching leather-bound manuscript fits snugly and securely inside.
The Silver-Plated Hamayil Case: A marvel of historical craftsmanship. The front lid features an incredibly crisp, highly detailed "Trophy of Arms" engraving—complete with crossed artillery cannon barrels, wheels, flags, spears, and a central fortification/fortress tower. The reverse side boasts a beautifully chased Mühr-ü Süleyman (Seal of Solomon / Six-Pointed Star), a legendary Islamic symbol of ultimate divine protection and spiritual armor used extensively by Ottoman forces.
Wearability: Features its original heavy-duty side brackets and loops, historically utilized to thread the case directly onto a soldier's leather belt or waist sash (kuşak).
The Handwritten Mecmua Manuscript: This pocket-sized devotional companion is completely hand-rendered by an Ottoman scribe using premium carbon black and vibrant cinnabar red inks within clean red borders. It features its original leather envelope-flap binding
Fascinating Text Elements: This is not a standard printed text. It is a bilingual manuscript featuring Arabic prayers and supplications (including selections from Surah al-Waqi'ah and Surah al-Fath for victory), alongside handwritten instructional formulas in Ottoman Turkish (indicated by the red Bâb / Chapter headers).
Esoteric Talismans: Includes rare, specialized protective cipher codes, numerical grid sequences (vefk), and healing invocations calling upon the Archangels (Gabriel, Israfel, Michael) for physical protection on the campaign trail.
Condition Report
This set features a spectacular, untouched historical patina. The silver-plated casing shows gorgeous, authentic age-tarnishing that highlights the depths of the engraving—we have strictly left it unpolished to preserve its historical integrity. The manuscript features classic hand-laid paper with expected handling stains and gentle edge wear consistent with field use on a soldier's belt.
