The soul-weighing scene provided medieval artists opportunities to depict demonic cunning rather than mere brutality. Here, a small demon attempts to influence judgment by pressing upon the scale’s arm—an act of fraud rather than force. De Brailes’ characteristic style appears in the demon’s expressive face: almost comic desperation mingles with malevolence. This lighter touch distinguished English illumination from the more austere Continental traditions. The architectural setting—suggesting the judgment throne—employs linear perspective experiments predating Italian developments. The demon operates within ordered space, emphasizing that even infernal interference cannot ultimately disrupt divine judgment.
Archive/Collection:
Louvre
Date:
5th–6th Century CE
Findspot:
Babylon
Current Location:
Room 55, Near Eastern Antiquities, Inv. BM-128490
Provenance:
Excavated by the University of Pennsylvania Expedition, 1889; acquired by the British Museum in 1892.
Category:
Incantation Amulet
Material:
Bronze
Language:
Hebrew
Script:
Square Hebrew Cursive
Bibliography:
Montgomery, J.A. (1913), Aramaic Incantation Texts from Nippur, p. 142, Pl. XII; Naveh, J. & Shaked, S. (1985), Amulets and Magic Bowls, Bowl 14.