Canaan, Tawfiq

Tawfiq Cana'an توفيق كنعان Life dates: 1882-1964. Palestinian medical doctor, ethnographer and collector.

Amulets from his collection were acquired in 1930-31 by Peter Johnston-Saint on behalf of WHMM. See collections dossier WA/HMM/CM/Col/20 and the online article A symbol of a lost homeland by Yasmeen Abdel Majeed, 2020.

Biography

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawfiq_Canaan

WA/HMM archives

• WA/HMM/CM/Col/20 - Collections dossier. Includes summary of collection history and amulet registration numbers. Biographical note on Dr Canaan.

• WA/HMM/CO/Ear/457 - letter to Dr Kanaan dated 16 April 1913, requesting loan of charms and amulets for the Historical Medical Museum. Annotated 'No record in Loans Register'.

• WA/HMM/RP/Jst/B.6 - Peter Johnston-Saint's diary, 6 March 1930. Describes first meeting with Tawfiq Canaan in Jerusalem, and meeting Canaan's sister. (starting on page image 45)

• WA/HMM/CO/Sai/D.7 – letter to Dr Canaan from Peter Johnston-Saint 1944 (starting page image 119)

• WA/HMM/TR/Abc/C.4/1 - Transfer documentation. Includes 1984 gift agreement with University of Oxford, Pitt Rivers Museum (starting on page image 343). Gift to Pitt Rivers includes 290 amulets from the Canaan collection (page image 349)

Sources

• Nashef 2002

• al-Jubeh 2005

• Publications by Tawfiq Canaan held in Wellcome Collection’s library

Tags: private collector; Middle East