in central and west asia, amulets (often in the form of triangular packages containing a sacred verse) were traditionally attached to the clothing of babies and young children to give them protection from forces such as the evil eye. triangular amulet motifs were often also woven into oriental carpets such as kilims. the carpet expert jon thompson explains that such an amulet woven into a rug is not a theme: it actually is an amulet, conferring protection by its presence. in his words, "the device in the rug has a materiality, it generates a field of force able to interact with other unseen forces and is not merely an intellectual abstraction."