“AMULETIC PRACTICE AND PILGRIMAGE: A BLOCK PRINTED ARABIC AMULET SCROLL DEPICTING MECCA AND MEDINA”
Lyla Halsted, New York University
Part of the Silsila fall 2018 Lecture Series, Matters of Mediation/Bodies of Devotion
Amulets abound in the medieval Islamic world, filled with esoteric, devotional language and magical symbols. These objects appear in various forms, from stones to scrolls, all of which adhere to formulas of efficacy and protection. This lecture explores one such amulet scroll that elides the boundaries between block printed amulet scroll and pilgrimage certificate, revealing the complexity of talismanic practice and circulation.
Lyla Halsted is a doctoral candidate at the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. Her dissertation work focuses on talismanic materials in medieval Islamic art and architecture. Her research explores materiality, networks of exchange, and digital humanities.
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