Page - 63 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 07/01

Born under a Lucky Star | 63www.jrfm.eu 2021, 7/1, 45–65 representation of the Virgo, the male figure cannot be interpreted as a zodiac sign, which makes the association of this figure with Adam likely. Moreover, the plants in the hands of the figures may evoke associations with the fruit of the tree of knowledge. This ambivalence of the illustrations is encouraged by the absence of explanatory captions on the amulets, unlike for many wood- cuts in books. The printers may have deliberately played with the ambiguity of the illustrations. Conclusion and Outlook The considerations presented here show that the material conditions in Jew- ish printing houses, especially the existence of certain printing blocks, influ- enced the design of the amulets. Thus astrological-medical interpretations not laid out in the text could also be accessed by users. In these cases, the images seem to be relatively independent of the text. Here, then, is an expres- Fig. 5: Unknown Jewish printer, OBJECT. JMP. COLL/178801, print with woodcut, 16,2 x 21,6 cm, 18th century, Jewish Museum Prague. (© Jewish Museum Prague)