Post Medieval 'Thames' Glass Poison Bottle Group

Comprising three sheets joined together, bearing neat and regular lines of red and black inked script, together with associated images; the text including prayers for barya and evil eye, for Shotäläy and magical machination; the images representing two guardian angels at the top and bottom, Archangels Michael and Gabriel, within a geometric frame; at the bottom a picture of a jewelled cross with red triangles inserted within the arms; the owner's name given as Wällättä Maryam Beré. 56 grams, 1.97 m



Ex Adalberto Frezza, 2006. Ex central London gallery.

The sick looked upon such scrolls as it was believed that the images contained in them had healing powers. The scrolls were prepared by unordained clerics, or debatras, employed by Christian families, a practice which continued into the 20th century. Debatras were skilled at diagnosing the causes of illness, and treated them through scrolls such as that offered here, together with herbal and plant-based remedies; the images and prayers were believed to act on the spiritual source of the ailment, whilst the botanical remedies acted upon the physical symptoms. The scrolls covered the length of the afflicted person's body, providing preventative as well as curative protection and were often passed down through generations of the same family. The patients were often illiterate peasants, and the scrolls written in archaic Ge'ez, a liturgical language comprehended only by clerics; the debatras explained the prayers and the images to the sick. The images are designed to be mesmeric, the penetrating gaze of eyes from within the design giving them a sense of power.

Set on a free-standing base with hollow reverse, the cross with skull and crossed bone detailing and a plaque bearing worn INRI lettering. 350 grams, 41.2 cm high



Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.

Depicting a richly dressed facing figure, crowned and nimbate, winged angels on clouds flanking the head; holding a cross in her right hand and a scroll in her proper left arm bearing handwritten Slavic script of the Nicene Creed; additional Slavic script with her name across the right and left fields. 854 grams, 31 cm

The timber shows some old insect flight holes and we are advised that this piece has been recently treated with Permthrin, as a precaution.

Ex French gallery, Paris.

Saint Paraskevi is usually depicted holding an Eastern Cross and a scroll with the words from the Nicene Creed (here, in old Slavonic: Верую во единаго Бога Отца, Вседержителя, Творца небу и земли,видимым же всем и невидимым = We believe in one God, the Father, the almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen), professing her faith in another while being crowned with the crown of the martyrdom by two angels.