Necklace with beads (sadi?)

Ornate filigree jewelry was historically made in Ethiopia for royals and nobility by specialized silversmiths trained through long apprenticeships. This necklace has a single central talismanic amulet framed by phallic beads representing fertility framing it. This northern Ethiopian symbol is especially common in the city of Aksum. Box-shaped amulet pendants (tälsäm) are meant to ward off the evil eye or other dangers. Linked to Islamic amuletic practices, the boxes are effective whether empty or whether they contain magical or prayerful texts. Their fine filigree and granulation work is characteristic of Harar as well as the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian city of Aksum.