Old Sidamo Amulet – Southern Ethiopia

Early to mid‑20th century. Copper. Height: 5.1 cm (2.01 in); width: 3.6 cm (1.42 in). Weight: 34.2 g (1.21 oz).

This amulet is pierced, allowing it to be easily worn suspended from a cord or thong, either around the neck or attached to clothing, in accordance with traditional use.

The Sidama are a Cushitic‑speaking ethnic group traditionally inhabiting the Sidama Zone of southern Ethiopia. Despite their conquest by Emperor Menelik II at the end of the 19th century, the Sidama preserved key elements of their cultural heritage, including their language and traditional religious beliefs.

In Sidama and neighboring cultures, metal—particularly copper and brass—is closely associated with protection, vital force, and social status. Amulets were commonly worn by adults for protection, fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, and prosperity, and by children as a safeguard against illness and the evil eye.

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