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The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
Bissat al rih Inv. SDD/LA-53951a-b-c Description: Group of items consisting of an antique, terra cotta oil lamp of Persian origin (probably dating from the 10-12th century), two small fragments of Egyptian Coptic fabric (5th century, one with white and red spots in very good condition, the other with a red strip, in much poorer condition), an Arab bronze ring bearing the name Abdel Khalil, a somewhat damaged square box of Persian origin (early 20th century) featuring fine inlay work, a small envelope containing a visiting card and a coin from the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels (a 6-digit number is engraved on the coin), various photographs and newspapers from 1951, miscellaneous coins, a small brass box, one of the Curator's cards from the Coins and Medals section of the British Museum (dated 1958). Some of the items were acquired in 1930 and some in 1958. Report Brussels, autumn 1958 As usual, our faithful old concierge entered without knocking. He was chewing on one of his awful cheap cigars and mumbling while he handed over a small envelope containing a visiting card. - "This gentleman would like a meeting with the Collector. He said that the contents of this envelope would certainly suffice to open up the doors of the museum." The small envelope contained a very simple visiting card, on which was written "Ali Reza Khan Mansour – Member of the Imperial Legation of Persia" and a 50 franc coin from the Brussels World's Fair, on which seemed to be engraved a 6-digit number. Looking at the silver coin, the Collector gave a start. - "So it does work!", he exclaimed. "Please send this distinguished guest in immediately and have us served our best Chung Hao jasmine tea infused with Damascus roses! I don't think he drinks alcohol." Once we were both sitting comfortably, I watched our visitor closely. He was an older gentleman, about whom everything denoted affluence, refinement and intelligence. - "I am honoured by your welcome," he began, breathing in the delicate fragrances wafting up from the tea. "I come to you on behalf of a lady of standing, a very close friend. She asked me to look after some 'unwieldy' objects that she does not wish to keep. They evoke rather painful memories for her." The diplomat placed a very old Persian box on the table. It was square and had sustained a fair amount of damage over the years, but the quality of its inlay work was still marvellous to behold. He also produced an object wrapped in cotton. He removed the fabric to reveal a stunning blue - nearly turquoise - oil lamp which looked to be about a thousand years old and the work of an Islamic craftsman. Inside the box was an ancient fragment of faded fabric and a bronze ring. The ring bore the inscription Abdel Khalil in mirror image. - "You're going to tell me a story of a young princess from the Thousand and One Nights with green eyes and a tragic destiny spanning East and West …", the Collector said upon seeing the lamp. - "Nothing gets past you! These priceless relics from the Hazâr-o Yak Ðab - I prefer the original titles of the tales – were gifts given to an 18-year-old girl to remind her of her origins in the Bakhtiar tribe. The lamp itself was presented by a Dervish/Storyteller like that of 'Ala al-Din and contained a Jinni – a fire spirit – capable of granting any wish expressed by whoever discovered his name. Intuition or not, she apparently discovered the name of the Jinni thanks to the ring – (editor's note: Abdel Khalil can mean "the slave Khalil"). She was well aware that certain spirits can be quite cruel in how they grant wishes - after all, Jinnis are masters of cunning - and that the present could well prove to be a 'poisoned' gift. Of course, being a rich, young, spoiled and somewhat whimsical princess, with no desire to spend her life as a precious trinket, she wished for a royal wedding, to live in a palace and to be covered in jewels, gold and precious silks. After all, if one is living out a tale from the Thousand and One Nights, then why deprive oneself? Some time later, she was introduced to Princess Shams of Iran, the Shah's older sister, and three days later a royal marriage was arranged. Soraya Esfandiari Bakhtiari thus became the second wife of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the maleke. Covered in diamonds, her gown weighed no less than 20 kg, a harbinger of the dark side of her wishes. They spent seven years in nearly perfect married bliss, until it became apparent that the princess was barren, whereupon the Shah was forced to divorce her for political reasons. In her exile from the pink Golestan Palace, she decided not to bring these relics with her and asked me to take care of them. These magical treasures include a bronze ring and a fragment of Coptic fabric, probably dating back to the fifth century. We had no idea what it was used for, until recently… But not long ago, this coin engraved with a 6-digit number simply appeared in the box. It was the coin which, following a great deal of lengthy investigation and research, led me to you. - "Well, I must admit that you caught me by surprise" replied the Collector. "I was not expecting to ever see one of those silver coins again. Now it's my turn to fill you in: A few years ago, I acquired a fragment of Prince Husayn's carpet, the Bissat al rih, in an Egyptian bazaar. Legends of flying carpets have been haunting the Silk Route for hundreds of years. It is said that the first such carpets were manufactured by craftsmen working for the Queen of Sheba, who presented it to King Solomon. But King Solomon, preoccupied by the construction of his Temple, did not even bother to look at the gift. Angered by his indifference, the Queen condemned the craftsmen to exile. Hundreds of years later, in Egypt, just one family still preserved the secret of these magical objects. When the last keeper of the knowledge died, in the fifth century AD, the fabrics were buried with him and the story became myth, then legend and finally rumour. Sometime around the 13th century, a spice and silk merchant named Papa Ali (Ali Baba) came into possession of these fabulous relics. Fearing the thieves and looters who infested the caravan routes, he soon came to understand what it meant to possess such marvels. In fact, the carpets don't actually fly. Rather, they instantaneously transport certain objects placed on a master carpet to one of the other carpets. Notice the red and white circles. It seems that if you place a silver coin of a certain size on a red circle, it disappears. We assume that the white circles is where the coins come back. Each circle on the master carpet is linked to one of the slave carpets. This was almost certainly one of the first ways of safely and securely transporting valuables from one point to another along the Silk Route. I noticed that the coins disappeared, but of course none of them ever came back. So I came up with the idea of placing special Belgian coins commemorating the World's Fair - and on which I had engraved our 6-digit phone number - on the carpet. That is how you found me. I congratulate you on your powers of deduction... and on the efficiency of your intelligence services. footnotes: We have tested the lamp, the ring and both carpets. - When you rub the lamp with a cloth, the cloth might ignite. Remember, Jinnis are fire spirits. But you must wear the ring. - The name of the Jinni's master (Iblis) can be discovered using a talisman. When this name is discovered, the Jinni is obliged to grant a wish. - Silver coins placed on special spots on the master carpet are transported to the slave carpet. Transmission in the opposite direction does not seem to work since the slave carpet has sustained extensive damage. Mr Mansour's illustrious ancestors include Abu Ja’far al-Mansur, the second caliph of the 'Abbassid Dynasty – and also considered the true founder of the Abbassid Dynasty - who ruled Baghdad from 753 to 775 (years 136-158 of the Hegira). Abu Ja’far al-Mansur is still considered one of the great Arab masters of politics and strategy and the master-builder of Baghdad – the main backdrop for the Thousand and One Nights. He ruled shortly before the celebrated Harun al-Rashid, caliph of Baghdad from 786 to 809. To guess the name of the Djinn's master you need a specific parchment... And a specific ritualistic action. I also find 2 Persian iron foundation nails (one century old, probably), inscribed with hadids and sourats (in Farsi and Arab), use in protective magic against ghouls and various nepharious entities. Square section, lenght : 19 cm. |
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shots Loyal user Kissimmee, FL 256 Posts |
Awesome artifacts, even more incredible story telling to go with them Curator. Nicely done, and once again I drool at your findings.
Magic in the Shadows
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Bill Ligon Inner circle A sure sign of a misspent youth: 6437 Posts |
Curator, I am always left speechless by your finds and the stories you tell.
Bill
Author of THE HOLY ART: Bizarre Magick From Naljorpa's Cave. NOW IN HARDCOVER! VIEW: <BR>www.lulu.com/content/1399405 ORDER: http://stores.lulu.com/naljorpa
<BR>A TASSEL ON THE LUNATIC FRINGE |
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Bill Fienning Special user 635 Posts |
You can find more photos of strange artifacts at:
http://www.surnateum.org There are also interesting photos and stories in Christian Chelman's books if you can find a copy. Two of his books,"Compendium Sortilegionis" and "Légendes Urbaines" are printed only in French.
Bill Fienning
"It's More than Tricks" |
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The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
Not to forget Hauntiques and Capricornian Tales.
This year's theme at the Surnateum is Silk Road Tales (or One Thousand Nights and One Night). Stories from Persia to Zipangu and China... in the old tradition of storytellers. Another silk road story/routine was written about the Elixir of Huangdi. |
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fraughton Veteran user of books 327 Posts |
I believe that you have, once again, raised the bar. Well done.
Beware of this and that.
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fishwasher Inner circle B'ham uk 1231 Posts |
Amazing...thank you Curator
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The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
Princess Soraya.
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The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
The coins of the 1958 Brussels Exposition.
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pkg Inner circle The City of Ithobaal I son of Hiram I 1356 Posts |
Stunning as always!!!
Double posters should be shot!
No really!! |
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The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
Remember the seven daggers of Meggido in "The Omen" ?
Well, this is the real stuff, the 7 Djinn Killers. I finally get 7 Persian iron foundation nails. They must be stabbed in the Chakras of the Djinn or maybe used to destroy the door thru which the Djinns enter... The latest acquisition in the Surnateum's Weaponry along with Shihab meteorits. |
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Bill Ligon Inner circle A sure sign of a misspent youth: 6437 Posts |
Once again I am speechless!
Bill
Author of THE HOLY ART: Bizarre Magick From Naljorpa's Cave. NOW IN HARDCOVER! VIEW: <BR>www.lulu.com/content/1399405 ORDER: http://stores.lulu.com/naljorpa
<BR>A TASSEL ON THE LUNATIC FRINGE |
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The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
We have a very nice demon weaponry now at the Surnateum: XIXth century Vampire Killing kit, mid XVIIIth century Magical Sword (perfect against most specters), traditional Demon daggers (Phurbas), Shihab meteorites (perfect against Djinns and Ghouls too), Vth century Babylonian demon Bowls, ...
I miss a good Ghostbuster Dematerializer and a ghost Pack, preferably a steampunk version. |
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airship Inner circle In my day, I have driven 1594 Posts |
'The central secret of conjuring is a manipulation of interest.' - Henry Hay
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The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
Yes, I've seen that one.
I just need one... Incidentally, the name of 7 Djinn Killers is the Shihab Thaqib. Made from meteoritic iron, Shihab Thaqib (al-shihab al-thaqib) means Piercing Arrows of Fire (meteorites). |
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stoneunhinged Inner circle 3067 Posts |
I'm speechless, too, except:
Princess Soraya is BEAUTIFUL! |
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Eddie Garland Inner circle Hells Kitchen, New York City 4207 Posts |
Wondrous!
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The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
Another recent acquisition at the Surnateum: a VIIIth/Xth century Persian Oil Lamp
And more information about the Nails: we recently found that 4 or 8 nails were necessary to fight djinns and demons, so we send a team in India to find the missing one (they originate there). The set is called the "Shihab Taqib" as told before and they come from the City of Djinns. The most simple use is to nail the 4 corners of a room, pointing outside to empeach demons to enter, it a basic protection. But if you nail the 8 corners of a cube (a room) containing a Djinn, this latest can't escape. The engravings on the nails are surats and hadids with the name of Allah (Blessed his name) and the name of Suleiman (Salomon) the master of Djinns himself. As I told you, the set was found in the City of Djinns, also known as Delhi. 4 nails only are needed to control the Djinn in the parchment, because it's 2 dimensional. As you can see on the photo, the Djinn lives in a lamp with a garage. |
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JAlenS Inner circle Utah 1526 Posts |
Awesome!!!! The nails would be great for Baba's The Undertaker.
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The Curator V.I.P. Beware Vampire, I have 3909 Posts |
The nails aren't specifically vodu items, coffin nails should be more appropriate.
Those nails are extremely scarce, we have only one source in India who can find them. From Babylonian and pre-islamic traditons, djinns, demons and ghuls enter by corners in a place. Traditionally in IVth/Vth century, demon bowls containing magical writing (or pseudo-wrting) were used. Some food like eggs or even egg shells were placed under the bowls to attract the evil doers. Sometimes a drawing of the Lilitu is found in the bowl. If you google "Babylonian demon bowl" you'll have some images. I've 2 of those bowls in the Surnateum Collection. One illustrate the cover page of Anne Laure Jacquart's book about the Surnateum You may also search articles about apotropaic use of iron and other objects. |
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