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Near Eastern Art :
Aramaic Incantation Bowls : Terracotta Incantation Bowl
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Terracotta Incantation Bowl - LO.785
Origin: Mesopotamia
Circa: 500
AD
to 800
AD
Dimensions:
2.1" (5.3cm) high
x 6.6" (16.8cm) wide
Collection: Near Eastern
Style: JEWISH, ARAMAIC SCRIPT
Medium: Terracotta
Additional Information: CLIENT=KHAPASHBA SON OF AFRIDAK POSSIBLY A CHRISTIAN NAME.LISTS A NUMBER OF MAGICAL SEALS SIGNED BY THE HAND OF MOSES
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
Produced in the Middle East during the Late
Antiquity from 6th to 8th century AD, particularly
in the region of Upper Mesopotamia and in Syria,
incantation bowls were inscribed with magic
texts usually in a spiral, beginning from the rim
and moving towards the center, and were used to
ward off evil spirits and protect family and
property. The greatest majority of them has been
inscribed in the Aramaic languages. The bowls
were buried face down and were thus meant to
capture demons. They were commonly placed
under the threshold of a house, buried in
courtyards, positioned in the corner of the homes
of persons recently deceased and in necropolis.
Unearthed among the highest strata of
excavations, they were very much neglected by
the 19th century pioneers of Mesopotamian
archaeology who were more interested in
discovering palaces and large-scale sculptures.
In more recent years however their importance
has been recognised and they have been studied
in-depth.
The incantations were written in a variety of
Aramaic dialects including Jewish Aramaic,
Mandaic and Syriac. There are also examples
written in pseudo-script, presumably by less
literate scribes. Although the texts are not dated
they are generally assigned to the late
Sassanian/early Islamic period (6th-8th century
A.D.). Their main function was to trap evil spirits
and they were often placed upside down at the
corners of rooms, or built into foundations or
cemeteries. The texts sometimes instruct to have
four different examples placed at the four
corners of a room, for extra protection. The
names of the clients for whom the bowls were
made can be divided into two main categories,
Semitic and Persian. However this is not always a
reliable guide to their ethnicity, as there is a
pronounced Jewish influence in the Aramaic
incantations. Many of the scribes may have been
Jewish or trained by Jews, and the Hebrew Bible is
frequently quoted.
The adversaries are rarely named but they are
sometimes depicted in rudimentary drawings
onto the surface of the clay with a reed pen and
black ink. These demons are often depicted
fettered in chains with splayed legs and long
dishevelled hair. Men and women are both
portrayed although the sex is frequently
ambiguous. The bowls themselves are all wheel-
made and their form derives from the repertoire
of Sassanian household vessels. However they
were not recycled from older household bowls
but made specifically to receive these
incantations as they do not present any signs of
daily wear and tear. The shape was also an
important factor, as they had to be of an open
form in order to receive the maximum amount of
text over a relatively smooth surface. The
patterns created by the writing are remarkable;
the most common arrangement was in concentric
spirals, radiating outwards from the centre, but
there were many other varieties. On rare
instances the text continued onto the exterior of
the bowl as well.
These bowls are fascinating for the insight they
provide into popular magic and belief. To date
only around 2000 incantation bowls have been
registered as archaeological finds, but since they
are widely dug up in the Middle East, there may
be tens of thousands in the hands of private
collectors and traders. Aramaic incantation bowls
from Sasanian Mesopotamia are an important
source for studying the everyday beliefs of Jews,
Christians, Mandaeans, Manichaeans,
Zoroastrians and pagans on the eve of the
Muslim conquests. In addition to the heartland of
ancient Mesopotamia they have been discovered
in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and even Egypt and
Uzbekistan- attesting to their widespread
popularity. Ink drawings and inscriptions rarely
survive from such an early date, in consequence
these bowls also offer a rare glimpse into the
work of ancient scribes.
- (LO.785)
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