Healing Scroll
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Parchment, pigments
Dimensions
W. 3 1/2 x L. 75 in. (8.9 x 190.5 cm)
Classification
Hide-Documents|Parchment
Culture
Amhara or Tigrinya peoples
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Anonymous Gift, 2011
Accession Number
2011.377
Tags
Art Historical Context
Unfurl the mysteries of Ethiopia's spiritual traditions with this 19th *Healing Scroll* from the Amhara origrinya peoples, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the department. Crafted on narrow parchment—animal skin stretched and prepared as a writing surface—this slender document measures just 3½ inches wide but stretches an impressive 75 inches long designed to be rolled for portability. Pigments applied in vivid colors bring its sacred imagery to life, reflecting centuries-old techniques rooted in Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. These scrolls served as ...