Knife grinding machine
ca. 1920 | Peter Wolfgang Schienerl
Happy is he who is fortunate. Yet human fortune is fragile. And humans, in contrast to the gods, are mortal, finite, and frail. External circumstances also determine human fortune and success. You have to preserve it. Just as the knife grinder does in Giza near Cairo: he has created a striking installation on the front right stand of his machine, consisting of a combination of an amulet to protect fortune, and objects of daily life – a finely turned Mashrabiya lattice, a small basket, the fragment of a red synthetic wrapper with the depiction of a mosque printed in gold, a doll's foot, the burned-out flashcube from a pocket camera, and other things. As an effective protection against any possible evil, the habitual name of God (Allah) sways over the ensemble, stamped in red plastic. In the museum inventory, the following comment of the collector can still be read: "Heavily used, old piece (ca. 1920). Was rented out by the old, sick owner to a young man."
Happy is he who is fortunate. Yet human fortune is fragile. And humans, in contrast to the gods, are mortal, finite, and frail. External circumstances also determine human fortune and success. You have to preserve it. Just as the knife grinder does in Giza near Cairo: he has created a striking installation on the front right stand of his machine, consisting of a combination of an amulet to protect fortune, and objects of daily life – a finely turned Mashrabiya lattice, a small basket, the fragment of a red synthetic wrapper with the depiction of a mosque printed in gold, a doll's foot, the burned-out flashcube from a pocket camera, and other things. As an effective protection against any possible evil, the habitual name of God (Allah) sways over the ensemble, stamped in red plastic. In the museum inventory, the following comment of the collector can still be read: "Heavily used, old piece (ca. 1920). Was rented out by the old, sick owner to a young man."
Collection:
Peter Wolfgang Schienerl (1940 Wien - 2001 München) DNB
Time:
ca. 1920
Entry Date:
1977
Object Name
Knife grinding machine
Culture
Egypt, Kerdasa
Material/technology:
Wood, pigment, plastic, metal, textile, leather
Dimensions:
H. 159 cm, W. 98 cm, D. 50.5 cm, Dia. (wheel) 95 cm
Copyright
Weltmuseum Wien
Collection area
North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and Siberia
Invs.
158322
Browse more Similar items you might be interested in
Ostrich egg with relief carvings based on antique Egyptian motifs Sophie Deutsch ca. 1900
Altägyptisches Bett ohne Bespannung Kronprinz Rudolf von Österreich-Ungarn
