Healing Scroll

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 powerful talismans for healing and protection, inscribed with prayers, invocations, and depictions of saints, angels, and horses—symbols of divine intervention and spiritual guardianship. Worn around the neck or placed under a pillow, they were believed to combat illness, evil spirits, and misfortune through the potency of holy words and icons. The unknown artist's hand captures a distinctive Ethiopian style: bold, linear figures and textual amulets intertwined in a rhythmic scroll format, blending artistry with ritual function. This anonymous 2011 gift offers a window into a living cultural practice, where art and medicine converge. Visitors are invited to imagine its role in daily Ethiopian life, a testament to the enduring power of faith and creativity in the face of adversity.