A wheel-made hemispherical bowl
with simple rim, inscribed on the
interior with an inscribed text.
An incantation bowl, also known
as a magic bowl, is a form of early
protective magic found in modern-
day Iraq and Iran. Produced in the
Middle East during the Late
Antiquity from 6th to 8th century
AD, particularly in Upper
Mesopotamia and Syria, the bowls
were usually inscribed in a spiral,
beginning from the rim and
moving toward the center.
Most of the preserved examples
are 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, courtyards, in the
corner of the homes of the
recently deceased and in
cemeteries.
- (CB.3167)
|
