Posts

Showing posts with the label Metropolitan Museum of Art

Artefacts as Inspiration. Jade Object

Image
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art . Distinctly modern in design, and yet dated to Neolithic China (2400BCE). Obviously an artefact out of time. And of ritual importance, well isn't that just archaeologist speak for 'We're not sure, but it was clearly important to someone",

Artefacts as Inspiration: Ivory Clappers

Image
Inspirational Artefacts artefact / ˈɑːtɪˌfækt / noun: something   made   or   given   shape   by   man,   such   as   a   tool   or   a   work   of art,   esp   an   object   of   archaeological   interest. At first glance, these don't initially strike the viewer as particularly mythos, but I had to include them once I read the description!  Egyptian, Amarna, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty. 1353-36 BCE These clappers are shaped like hands. They were used in magical practices to scare away evil spirits and ghosts. By clapping them together a noise is created that accompanies a ritual.  source . Of course, the influence of Egyptian archaeology on the mythos, and indeed on popular culture of the 1920s, is undeniable so these fit in very well with the setting. Furthermore, they are a bona fide magical artefact, not just an amulet of power, or a grimoire, and this alone sets th...