Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World Exhibit Opens at Toledo Museum of Art

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The Toledo Museum of Art is hosting a new exhibition called "Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World" that will run from March 21 to July 5, 2026. The exhibit features a collection of rare and exceptional ancient artifacts, including carved ivory wands, gems, magical papyri, and lead curse tablets, that showcase how magic was woven into the daily lives and rituals of people across the ancient Mediterranean world.

Why it matters

This exhibition provides a unique opportunity for visitors to gain insight into the central role that magic and the supernatural played in the ancient world. By exploring these artifacts, guests can better understand how people in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome turned to magic for protection, healing, curses, and to seek favor from unseen forces that were believed to shape life and death.

The details

The objects in the "Cursed!" exhibition have been loaned from prestigious institutions like the Louvre, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They include intricately carved ivory wands, rare magical papyri, brilliant gems, and lead curse tablets that reveal the shared human desire across ancient cultures to influence the unseen forces of the world.

• The exhibition will be open from March 21 to July 5, 2026 at the Toledo Museum of Art.
• Tickets are now available on the Toledo Museum of Art website.