This spring, Disney World will probably have to give up its crown as the “most magical place on Earth” and hand it over to the Toledo Museum of Art. That’s because the Ohio museum will soon open an exhibition dedicated solely to magic and its crucial functions throughout the ancient world.
Opening on March 21, 2026, Cursed!: The Power of Magic in the Ancient World will showcase some 75 works from antiquity, ranging from ivory wands and papyrus spellbooks to amulets decked out in semiprecious stones, gold, and silver. These objects chart a compelling history between the years 2000 BCE and 300 CE, exploring magic’s integration into religious traditions in Mesopotamia and Egypt, as well as its marginal and often illicit status in Greece and Rome. Whether it protects against demonic harm, heals medical ailments, attracts lovers, or curses enemies, each featured work offers an essential glimpse into the ritualistic, spiritual, and supernatural practices that guided ancient civilizations.
“Cursed! reveals that magical beliefs were very ancient, passed down over thousands of years, although continuously evolving as cultures interacted and exchanged ideas,” says Dr. Jeffrey Spier, the exhibition’s guest curator and former senior curator of antiquities at the Getty Museum. “I hope visitors will recognize that magic in the ancient world was not an illusion or sleight of hand but a serious, deeply held belief system that helped people navigate uncertainty and suffering.”…