The Long Life of Magical Objects: A Study in the Solomonic Tradition Iafrate, Allegra

Name: The Long Life of Magical Objects: A Study in the Solomonic Tradition Iafrate, Allegra
Price: 40.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Iafrate, Allegra
ISBN: 9780271083674

✍️ Iafrate, Allegra

☆ Reader reviews: none yet — be the first

40 $

📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Unearth the hidden histories of Solomon's most fabled magical objects, from rings to flying carpets.

Allegra Iafrate meticulously uncovers the enduring legacy of King Solomon's legendary magical artifacts. This insightful study delves into their cultural impact across centuries, examining how supernatural power becomes tangible through material forms. Each chapter unveils the unique story of an object, from demon-binding rings and spirit-trapping bottles to the stone-cutting shamir and the famed flying carpet. More than a chronicle of Solomon's mythical persona, this work offers rich cultural biographies, exploring the aesthetic and symbolic evolution of these potent tools.

Key themes

{'title': "Solomonic Artifacts' Power", 'body': 'Iafrate meticulously traces the origins and evolution of legendary items attributed to King Solomon, such as his dominion ring or the wondrous shamir. The book scrutinizes how these objects, often appearing in extracanonical texts, became imbued with immense magical capabilities in the collective imagination, shaping beliefs about power and control over the supernatural.'} {'title': 'Materiality of Magic', 'body': 'This study profoundly investigates the concept of magic manifesting through physical objects. It explores the inherent aesthetic, morphological, and technical qualities of these artifacts, demonstrating how their form and perceived substance contributed to their legendary status and efficacy. It’s an inquiry into the tangible points where the mystical and the mundane intersect.'} {'title': 'Cultural Object Biographies', 'body': 'Beyond cataloging artifacts, the book crafts compelling "biographies" for each object. It follows their journey through various cultures and historical periods, revealing how their meaning and interpretation shifted. This approach illuminates not only the reception of Solomon\'s legend but also the dynamic life cycle of magical beliefs embedded within material culture.'}

🏛 Penn State University Press 📅 2021 📖 248 pages 📔 Paperback 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9780271083674

In stock — ready to ship

Fun fact

Iafrate’s work is a truly captivating exploration, masterfully bridging art history with the enduring power of myth. It excels at revealing the intricate lives of these legendary objects, making ancient magic feel remarkably relevant. While it delivers deep scholarly insight, those seeking practical occult instruction will be disappointed. This book stands as a cornerstone for anyone interested in the cultural legacy of magic and material culture.

📝 Description: The Long Life of Magical Objects: A Study in the Solomonic Tradition Iafrate, Allegra

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.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books — add yours →

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.7/5

★★★★★

If you're fascinated by the intersection of art history, religious studies, and the enduring power of myth, this book is for you. Scholars and curious readers alike will find its exploration of ancient magical objects and their cultural journey utterly captivating.

Reader rating

Reviews yet. Be the first!

❓ Frequently asked questions

The study focuses on several iconic Solomonic artifacts, including a ring for commanding demons, mysterious bottles confining evil entities, an endless knot or seal, the legendary stone-cutting shamir, and the fabled flying carpet.

Absolutely. While historical, the book illuminates how ancient magical artifacts continue to echo in modern fantasy and popular culture, influencing our understanding of magic, power, and the symbolic resonance of objects, much like Sauron's ring or Aladdin's lamp.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Solomonic Artifacts' Power

Iafrate meticulously traces the origins and evolution of legendary items attributed to King Solomon, such as his dominion ring or the wondrous shamir. The book scrutinizes how these objects, often appearing in extracanonical texts, became imbued with immense magical capabilities in the collective imagination, shaping beliefs about power and control over the supernatural.

Materiality of Magic

This study profoundly investigates the concept of magic manifesting through physical objects. It explores the inherent aesthetic, morphological, and technical qualities of these artifacts, demonstrating how their form and perceived substance contributed to their legendary status and efficacy. It’s an inquiry into the tangible points where the mystical and the mundane intersect.

Cultural Object Biographies

Beyond cataloging artifacts, the book crafts compelling "biographies" for each object. It follows their journey through various cultures and historical periods, revealing how their meaning and interpretation shifted. This approach illuminates not only the reception of Solomon's legend but also the dynamic life cycle of magical beliefs embedded within material culture.

💬 Quotes from the book

«The very concept of a ring granting dominion over unseen forces is not merely a literary flourish; it speaks to a profound human desire for control, etched into the material culture of antiquity and reverberating through countless tales.»

«To understand the flying carpet is to trace the interwoven threads of technological aspiration, mystical transport, and political power, transforming a simple textile into a symbol of ultimate freedom and conquest across diverse civilizations.»

📜 Historical context

King Solomon has long been revered in Abrahamic traditions as a figure of immense wisdom and magical prowess, often associated with dominion over spirits. This work situates itself within the rich tradition of studying his legendary artifacts, offering a fresh interdisciplinary perspective on how these objects shaped, and were shaped by, centuries of cultural imagination and artistic representation.

📚 Glossary

Solomonic Tradition
Extracanonical Sources
Shamir

📔 Questions to reflect on

Reflect on a magical object from fiction or folklore that deeply resonates with you. What makes it powerful, and how does its material form contribute to its legend?
Consider how ancient legends about figures like Solomon continue to shape our contemporary understanding of magic, wisdom, and authority. In what ways do these myths persist?
If you could imbue an everyday object with magical properties, which object would you choose and what power would it hold? How would its physical form reflect its new purpose?