Welcome to Frogabilia!

We are a Greek/English family-run business established in the UK in 2011. Since then we have built up a large collection of unique items, hand-picked from private collectors sales.

Our choice of items is based on quality, craftsmanship, cultural interest and beauty. We research every single item and aim to provide as much information as possible about its history and provenance.

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We have been packing and sending items abroad for many years and have successfully delivered even the most fragile pieces including Venetian mirrors, carved chairs and arabesque tables.

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This Listing is for:

A 20th Century Ethiopian Magic Healing Scroll from Amhara Africa Ge'ez Script

"In Ethiopia customized protective scrolls that interweave sacred imagery with textual prayers have been prescribed by traditional healers for over two thousand years. These were carried on the person of the individual to whom they were specifically dedicated to shield them from harm.
Often the customized content of a scroll is astrologically determined. In Ethiopia as in ancient Greece, each human being has a corresponding zodiac sign associated with a particular destiny and talismanic character. The iconography of the scrolls thus alternate between talismanic "seals" and representations of saints, angels and archangels shown in the act of fighting demons. The seals are modeled on the seal of God that was revealed to King Solomon and feature geometric patterns intertwined with stylized representations of multiple visages and eyes that indicate prayers for divine intervention." https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/320962

Dimensions:

11,5 x 197,5cm

Condition:

Very Good Antique Condition

Please see all photos

Provenance:

 Ex Collection F. X. M., Oberbayern, Germany from 1930s to 1940s.

***In the summer of 2013 our shop featured in the BBC series Antiques Road Trip; we have also worked with prop-masters and costume designers in the film industry, supplying jewellery and antiques for productions such as Mr Holmes (with Ian Mckellan), Viceroy's House (directed by Gurinder Chadha), the upcoming Disney production Maleficient II, and the TV series Downton Abbey.