This slender but substantial hinged silver box was crafted in the central Anti-Atlas region of Morocco early in the last century. Intricately engraved with zigzag and scroll patterns framing a Hamsa on one side and a Star of David/Seal of Solomon on the other, this lovely little box was intended to carry either a miniature Koran or Torah. It would have been used as a protective amulet, and its markings and rich patina indicate it was worn lovingly for generations. The sort of piece that is becoming increasingly hard to find in North Africa.