Aramaic Magical Bowl Bearing an Incantation Against Evil Spirits
4th-8th century A.D. A ceramic flat-based bowl, inscribed in spiral from the bottom inner wall to the rim with Aramaic text, and on the outer rim. Cf. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, accession number: 80.001.0001. 692 grams, 19.5 cm wide (7 5/8 in.). Early 1990s London collection.Acquired on the UK art market.From a private collection, Lancashire, UK Aramaic incantation bowls are particular to the Sassanian period and have been found in the 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 child-birth, illness and evil spirits.