A HAUSA ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT
A Hausa Allo hide, covered with beautifully written Qur'an extracts, magical & protective texts and an intricate scheme of talismanic drawings of insects and animals.
This sacred writing and ornament endows the hide with blessings or Baraka. 1/
A Hausa Allo hide, covered with beautifully written Qur'an extracts, magical & protective texts and an intricate scheme of talismanic drawings of insects and animals.
This sacred writing and ornament endows the hide with blessings or Baraka. 1/
Hausa Allo hides are specially commissioned from a traditional Islamic healer or malam for medical purposes, or to acquire blessings and prosperity, or to ward off misfortune.
The intricacy, diversity and beauty of the Hausa written tradition is on full display here. 2/
The intricacy, diversity and beauty of the Hausa written tradition is on full display here. 2/
Another talismanic Hausa Allo hide, covered with Qur'an extracts, magical squares, protective texts and talismanic drawings of various insects and animals. This hide measures approximately 88 x 72 cm, and was purchased in Northern Nigeria in the 1960s. 3/
Secrecy is the common feature today around the so-called allo kafii gida Qur'anic writing boards and hides used by the Hausa of northern Nigeria. Possession of quasi-magical talismanic items like this can incur severe punishment by local Islamic fundamentalist forces. 4/
Loading suggestions...