(Ebook) The Long Life of Magical Objects: A Study in the Solomonic Tradition (Magic in History) by Iafrate, Allegra ISBN 9780271083674, 0271083670

(Ebook) The Long Life of Magical Objects: A Study in the Solomonic Tradition (Magic in History) by Iafrate, Allegra ISBN 9780271083674, 0271083670

This book explores a series of powerful artifacts associated with King
Solomon via legendary or extracanonical textual sources. Tracing their
cultural resonance throughout history, art historian Allegra Iafrate
delivers exciting insights into these objects and interrogates the ways
in which magic manifests itself at a material level.
Each chapter focuses on a different Solomonic object: a ring used to
control demons; a mysterious set of bottles that constrain evil forces;
an endless knot or seal with similar properties; the shamir, known for
its supernatural ability to cut through stone; and a flying carpet that
can bring the sitter anywhere he desires. Taken together, these chapters
constitute a study on the reception of the figure of Solomon, but they
are also cultural biographies of these magical objects and their
inherent aesthetic, morphological, and technical qualities.
Thought-provoking and engaging, Iafrate's study shows how ancient magic
artifacts live on in our imagination, in items such as Sauron's ring of
power, Aladdin's lamp, and the magic carpet. It will appeal to
historians of art, religion, folklore, and literature.