ostracon ancient art
catalogue

Mesopotamian Incantation Bowl, 5th-7th Century AD

Mesopotamian incantation bowl with the meaningless repetition of the same letter.

The text is grouped in adjacent areas and surrounds two demonic figures with differentiated sexual attributes.

The woman appears with long hair or a veil, the man is depicted with a short brush cut.

Arms and legs are hatched, the fingers indicated. The arms are bound together.

Between the figures a scorpion with segmented body and multiple legs. The grasping pincers are rendered as simple lines, the poison sting is a curl.

Intact and fine, female figure slightly discolored. Craze on the outside fixed.

D. 17 cm (6.7 in)

Ex German collection Munich, acquired prior to 2005. Before in a Swiss private collection.
Joined by an expertise of, Antiken-Kabinett B. Gackstätter, Cologne.

3200 USD
 

Literature: Craig A. Evans and Scott Stripling. "Two Pseudo-Text Incantation Bowls from the University of Pikeville", pp. 43-49 in: NEASB 64, 2019.