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HJB Home > Antiquities Home > The Fixed Price List > Ceramics > Inv. # aq21841

Near Eastern Aramaic Incantation Bowl with Figure ca. 6th-8th Century AD. Also known as a demon bowl or magic bowl, the object is an early form of protective magic. The bowl was intended to capture demons when placed upside down in a corner of a room or buried face down in the earth. The incantation is written in black ink spiraling around the inside of the bowl. In general, the incantations are directed against evil spirits, illness, and the curses of both humans and demons, and they reflect Jewish, Christian, and Mandaean religious traditions and also preserve remnants of Iranian and Mesopotamian religions. Dia. 6 1/2" H. 2 5/8" (16.5 cm x 6.7 cm).