filter_framesThe Campbell Bonner Collection of Magical Amulets

This digital collection describes sixty-one magical amulets formerly owned by Campbell Bonner, professor of Greek at the University of Michigan from 1907 to 1945. In 1950, Bonner published Studies in Magical Amulets, Chiefly Graeco-Egyptian (SMA), a breath-taking monograph that contains a comprehensive interpretative catalog of 398 magical amulets, including those amulets from Bonner’s private collection. Mostly from Egypt and Syria, and produced from the 1st century B.C.E. to the 4th century C.E., these magical amulets, or magical gems, can be defined as engraved ancient precious stones, sized between 1 to 3 centimeters, and engraved with symbolic iconography and wording, all of which was designed to provide their owners with protection against the uncertainties of life, particularly in the spheres of health, love, and prosperity.

The descriptions of this digital collection are indebted, and credited, to Bonner’s SMA, being complemented by additions and corrections from The Campbell Bonner Magical Gems Database (CBd). The actual amulets are held at the University of Michigan Library (Special Collections Research Center).

Rights and Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain in the United States.