A RARE INDONESIAN BRASS MAGICAL EGG
Possibly Madura or Java, Indonesia, 19th century

Egg-shaped amulet with Islamic prayers in brass and written in Jawi script, the inscriptions most likely rendering the 99 names of God, a tradition often seen in Ottoman eggs and probably reaching Indonesia via the Aceh Sultanate, a major regional power in the 16th and 17th centuries maintaining close commercial, cultural, religious and military exchanges with the Ottoman court since the time of Suleiman the Magnificence (r. 1530–1566), 7cm long.

Similar talismanic pieces are found in Java made out of brass or clay. Within Indonesian lore, these particular objects serve as magical protective devices, destined to guard carriers from dangers and harm. They are often used as meditation tools to be held in the devotees' hands during ritual prayers.