Two Ethiopian ketab prophylactic scrolls - Lot 31

Two Ethiopian ketab prophylactic scrolls Polychrome pigments on vellum Ethiopia, 18th - 19th century 181 x 9.5 cm and 157 x 14.5 cm These magical, therapeutic scrolls were believed to ward off disease. Often the same height as the patient, they were made from the skin of a sacrificial animal, and painted with various religious formulas in Ge'ez script, various scenes and portraits of saints. Once recited, the prayers were said to ward off illness and demons. A similarly decorated scroll is in the Metropolitan Museum (inv. no. 95.66). The first, with its two-column text, is decorated with polychrome cruciform medallions. The second, with single-column text framed by fillets, is illustrated with portraits of saints and stylized stars. (Visible wear, staining, otherwise well preserved).