Eye in a rhombus pendant

Rhombus-shaped bronze pendants with the depiction of an eye.

Depictions of eyes are a traditional part of the shamanic costume. There are multiple reasons for this. For example; during rituals the physical eyes of the shaman are often closed, or covered by the fringes from his headdress. Eye-shaped amulets or shells (such as kauri) sewn on his headdress can then temporarily replace his physical eyes. They help him to see more clearly into the spirit-world. 

Also they serve a protective function here; they scare away the evil spirits, making them believe they are watched even when the shaman's eyes are closed. For this reason they can be sewn anywhere on the costume; they are for example also quite traditionally sewn on the back, giving the shaman literally 'eyes on his back'.

And of course eye-shaped pendants such as these can also be used to give eyes to your spiritdolls.

Size; approximately 5,5 centimeters high and 2 centimeters wide. Weight; approximately 18 grams.

These bronze pendants come to us via our friends at Shaman Bazar. Please note: these are sold per piece, so if you need two eyes to sew on (for example) your headdress, you need to order two.