Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World

Fragment of a Sarcophagus with Medea carrying her dead child,
marble, ca. 130 BC, Roman, from Italy, find spot unknown

We recently stopped by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in Manhattan to see its newly opened exhibition, Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World, and it was well worth the visit.

Spanning roughly 2000 BC to 300 AD, the show explores the place of magic in the ancient worlds of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. What makes it particularly fascinating is the sheer variety of objects on display. There are amulets, sculptures, decorated ceramics, precious metals, and papyri, all created by people seeking, in one way or another, to influence the unseen forces around them.

Far from being an eccentric fringe practice, the collection reveals how deeply magic could be woven into religion and everyday life, even as its status differed considerably from one ancient society to another.

Small but wonderfully focused, Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World is an easy recommendation for anyone interested in the strange ways human beings have tried to negotiate with the unknown. On view at ISAW through December 13, 2026, admission is free.

~By Giovanni di Napoli, September 24th, Feast of the Madonna della Misericordia

(L) Promotional banner for Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World. (R) Funerary Portrait of a Youth Wearing an Amulet, encaustic on linden wood, 150-200 AD, Roman Empire, from Egypt, find spot unknown

Magical Stela of Horus, chlorite schist, 332-280 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown

Statuette of Triple-Bodied Hekate, marble, 1st-2nd
century AD, Roman Empire, find spot unknown

Love Charm for Four Women, lead, 3rd century AD,
Roman Empire, find spot unknown

Amulet with the Demon Pazuzu, chalcedony,
681-627 BC, Neo-Assyrian, find spot unknown

Curse Tablet, selenite, 3rd century AD, Roman
Empire, from Cyprus, find spot unknown

Calyx-Krater (Mixing Vessel) with Odysseus and Circe, terracotta,
ca. 440 BC, Greek, made in Athens, find spot unknown

Magical Papyrus with Rituals Addressed to Hekate, papyrus and ink, late 3rd-early 4th century AD, Roman Empire, from Egypt, find spot unknown

(L) Hydria with Medea and Pelias, terracotta, 510-500 BC, Greek, made in Athens, found at Vulci, Italy. (R) Tablet with Ritual to Counteract Witchcraft (Maqlû), clay, 669-631 BC, Neo-Assyrian, from Nineveh (Kouyunjik, Iraq)

Amulet Plaque with Sacred Symbols, gold,
664-30 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown

(L) Amulet with the Demon Lamashtu, obsidian, 900-600 BC, Neo-Assyrian,
find spot unknown. (R) Mirror with Medea Offering a Potion to Jason,
bronze, ca. 400 BC, Etruscan, find spot unknown

Miniature Coffin with Curse Figure, lead, 4th century BC,
Greek, from the Kerameikos cemetery, Athens

(L) Curse Figure, clay with red pigment, 1991-1802 BC, Egyptian, from
Saggara, Egypt. (R) Mask of Humbaba, fired clay, 2000-1700 BC,
Old Babylonian, from Ur (Diqdiaqah, Iraq)

Papyrus with Spells Against Demons, papyrus with
colored ink, 664-525 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown

(L) Magical Gem with Snake-Legged Deity, green and red jasper, 2nd-3rd
century AD, Roman Empire, find spot unknown. (R) Magical Gem with
Cow-Headed Hekate, black jasper, 2nd-3rd century AD,
Roman Empire, find spot unknown

A Priest's Handbook of Spells ("The London Magical Papyrus"), papyrus and ink, 3rd century AD, Roman Empire, from Thebes, Egypt

(L) Pendant Amulet Against the Evil Eye, gold, pearls, and amethyst, 2nd century
AD, Roman Empire, find spot unknown. (R) Wedjat Amulet, faience,
664-332 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown

(L) Amulet, faience, 818-332 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown. (R) Amulet of Taweret, faience, 664-332 BC, Egyptian, find spot unknown

Solemn Mass for San Maurizio in Little Italy, New York

The missal for the Mass

Annue, quásumus, omnipotens Deus: ut sanctórum Martyrum tuórum Maurítii et Sociorum ejus nos latíficet festíva sollémnitas; ut, quorum suffrágiis nítimur, eórum natalitis gloriémur. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sácula sæculórum. Amen.

Tuesday evening, leaving behind the din and tumult of the ongoing Feast of San Gennaro on Mulberry Street, I entered the Shrine Church of the Most Precious Blood for the Feast of St. Maurice and the Martyrs of the Theban Legion.

Arriving nearly an hour early, I found the contrast could hardly have been greater. The church was silent and peaceful. I prayed the Rosary and said my prayers while the servers quietly prepared the sanctuary and the choir warmed up in the loft.

Having been told it was a private Mass, I expected little more than a priest offering Mass at one of the side altars. Instead, I found myself at a Solemn High Traditional Latin Mass, accompanied by sublime sacred music and a remarkable turnout. The congregation's responses and hymns thundered through the nave. It was deeply uplifting and spiritually moving.

Sangria at the post-Mass gathering

What struck me almost as much as the Mass itself was how young the congregation was. I was among the few older people present. Looking around the church, one might easily have mistaken it for a young adult Mass.

Afterward, everyone was invited to a nearby restaurant for food, drinks, and conversation. There, among old acquaintances and new friends, the solemnity of the evening gave way naturally to conviviality.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, September 23rd, Feast of Padre Pio

Be merciful, almighty God, we beseech You, that the solemn feast of Your martyrs, Maurice and his Companions, may gladden us, so that we who rely on their patronage may joyfully celebrate the anniversary of their martyrdom. Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

A Century of Faith: The 100th Feast of San Gennaro

A newly donated relic of San Gennaro, containing a fragment of the saint’s skull, presented by the City of Naples in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy, New York City

For a century, the beloved Feast of San Gennaro has brought faith, tradition, and devotion to the streets of old Little Italy in New York City.

This year’s centennial celebration was made especially memorable by a newly donated relic of San Gennaro from the City of Naples, a beautifully restored painting of the saint originally from Naples, and a newly designed prayer card commemorating the 100th anniversary.

The procession through the throng gathered on Mulberry Street offered a stirring reminder of the enduring ties between Naples and New York’s Neapolitan American community.

Viva San Gennaro!

The processional bust of San Gennaro outside the Shrine Church of Most Precious Blood, with the relic and Constantinian Cross bestowed by H.R.H. Prince Carlo di Borbone, Duke of Castro

H.E. Gr. Uff. John Viola with the antique painting of San Gennaro from Naples that he rescued and had restored

Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello blessing the restored painting during Mass

The Mass was concelebrated by Msgr. Donald Sakano,
Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, and Fr. Leo Camurati

Members of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order
of St. George participating in the Mass

Knights and Dames of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order
of St. George process out of the church following Mass

The statue of San Gennaro carried in procession through the throng

Fr. Leo among the crowd on Mulberry Street

Don Raimondo del Balzo dei Duchi di Presenzano
spotted in the crowd on Mulberry Street

Our friend Tony Mangia was among the revelers 

Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello leads the procession through the streets of Little Italy

The new outdoor shrine to San Gennaro on Mulberry Street

A delicious fil-a-bun burger

Zeppole

After the procession, we made our way to Vincent’s, a Little Italy institution since 1904, for a well-earned meal and the perfect way to continue celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Feast of San Gennaro. Good food, good company, and a century of tradition on Mulberry Street.

Vincent’s, founded in 1904 and the oldest restaurant in Little Italy, marks two historic milestones with a new T-shirt celebrating the 250th anniversary of these United States and the 100th Anniversary of the Feast of San Gennaro

Fried shrimp

Baked clams

Calamari

Lasagna

(L) A surprise gift, a Mighty Warriors challenge coin. (R) The newly designed prayer card commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Feast of San Gennaro

More Postcards from Napoli (Part 02)

A few more photographs from my friend’s travels through Napoli and its surroundings, completing the latest batch he was kind enough to send our way.

Each new collection makes me a little more excited for my own return to the capitale this November. Until then, I am quite happy to keep receiving these little postcards from afar.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, September 12th, Feast of the Madonna di Montevergine