Radiance and the Power of Erasure in an Obsidian Lamaštu Amulet

Abstract

cuneiform ritual tablets in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of ancient Near Eastern art is a nearly pristine obsidian amulet of the first millennium b.c. This amulet, small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand, provides protection from the Mesopotamian demon Lamaštu. On one side is a representation of the demon surrounded by various ritual paraphernalia (fig. 1), and on the other, a ritual incantation carved in cuneiform script (fig. 2). In its current display—mounted flat against a beige cloth support—the opacity of the obsidian’s dark color makes it difficult to see the image and also precludes any observation of the text. When the amulet is examined at close range, however, one is able to see how brilliantly light reflects off the surface and gets a M I R I A M S A I D Radiance and the Power of Erasure in an Obsidian Lamaštu Amulet