Arabic block printing likely has its origins in China, and interactions through trade and expansion set the stage for the transmission of such printing knowledge in the early Islamic period (7th-9th centuries). Most medieval block printing was done with wooden blocks, though some were also produced using metal blocks. Arabic block-printed materials include some royal decrees from 10th-century al-Andalus, paper currency from 12th-century northern Syria, and amulets like the one presented here.