A Recipe for Happiness. 2020
Saponaria officinalis (Soapwort)
Installation
2 x 3 m
Textile

Saponaria officinalis, a magical plant featured extensively in an ancient therapeutic tablet found in Ashur, is used for a variety of cleansing rituals including basic laundry, abortions, cleansing the female body during the menstrual cycle, extracting the placenta after childbirth and healing the body and spirit of negative energies. Some of these concoctions were held in amulets reminiscent of those in Tawfik Canaan’s collections and worn on the body to expel negative energies and spirits. The stone-carved tablet now held at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum is part of a collection of Neo-Assyrian tablets formed by exorcist Kisir Assur. The recipe for happiness, to be performed the first day of the year, involves anointing the body with a mix of the blue lapis lazuli stone (lazaward), filtered oil and crushed soapwort. The person is to rub the body with this paste and tie a lazaward bead into the hem of their garment. To finally expel the negative energies, the impurities are to be transferred to two doves and a fish. A male dove flying east and a female dove flying west carry off the impurities into the distance while the fish carries them from the person’s spit into depths unknown to reside with Enki, the Sumerian god of water. The exhibition uses material components from in-depth research and maps that rich history onto a sewn textile. The piece is inspired by the fabric amulets found in Canaan’s hujub collection as well as illustrations of ancient cleansing procedures and rituals.