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LOT 1127
Fragmentary Jewish Magic Bowl with Aramaic Incantation Against Evil Spirits and Drawing of the Devil
CIRCA 4TH-8TH CENTURY A.D.
3 1/2 - 6 3/4 in. (382 grams total, 9-17 cm).
Broad terracotta bowl with extensive inked inscription and symbols to the inner face; repaired and partly disassembled. [4, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom an important family collection, London and Geneva.
LiteratureCf. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, accession number: 80.001.0001.
FootnotesAramaic incantation bowls are particular to the Sassanian period and have been found in regions of modern Iraq. These simple ceramic bowls, also known as magic bowls, each contain an Aramaic inscription, written in ink, which spirals from the centre. The bowls seem to have played an important part in domestic life. For example, during excavation in Nippur in 1889, one or more incantation bowls were found in each house together with domestic artefacts, most often in doorways or under floorboards in the corner of rooms. The bowls are predominantly apotropaic, and the inscriptions tend to protect their owners from misfortunes such as those faced in child-birth, illness and evil spirits.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1127
Fragmentary Jewish Magic Bowl with Aramaic Incantation Against Evil Spirits and Drawing of the Devil
Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
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Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablet Fragment Group
Early 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Comprising three pillow-shaped tablets with cuneiform text, and a corner fragment. 163 grams total, 32-60mm
Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992. Thence by descent to family members. Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This small collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. -
Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablet Squashed in Hand
Early 2nd millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
Originally pillow-shaped in form with cuneiform text, deformed by squeezing while still wet. 80 grams, 67 mm
Specialised collection of cuneiform texts, the property of a London gentleman and housed in London before 1992. Thence by descent to family members. Examined by Professor Wilfrid George Lambert FBA (1926-2011), historian, archaeologist, and specialist in Assyriology and Near Eastern archaeology, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This small collection is exceptional for the variety of types, including some very rare and well preserved examples. -
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Western Asiatic Bronze Rhyton Bull Head
Early 1st millennium B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,080
Hollow-formed head of a bull with short curved horns, large bulbous eyes, lateral scooped ears, short muzzle with flared nostrils, dewlap beneath; possibly from a rhyton; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 1.3 kg total, 22 cm high including stand
Excellent condition, very rare.
Acquired between 1980-1983. From the collection of a London, UK, gentleman. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12019-213616.
The rhyton was dipped into a krater and held above the drinker's mouth with the spout covered by a thumb, then opened to release a stream of wine into the mouth. The bull was a symbol of man’s control over the nature. Not only were these heads used to serve wine in the banquets, but they were also destined to hold blood from sacrificial animals, that was collected and then poured on the ground as a libation.
