Monday, June 17, 2013

MYSTIC GARB: DOCTOR STRANGE APPAREL
- ANCILLARY ACCESSORIES: ARTIFACTS of FLAIR
Part 3: AMULETS, MEDALLIONS, PENDANTS & CHARMS

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Welcome back once again as we take a look at an entry in one of the longest-running series of blog posts on this Sanctum Sanctorum Comix blog; wherein I showcase my collection of DOCTOR STRANGE related apparel (hats, ties, shirts, unmentionables…).

This time, were in the 3rd entry of a sub-series of posts which feature assorted Ancillary Accessorizing Artifacts; (patches, buttons and assorted bling).

Anyway… in THIS post, we’re taking a look at DOCTOR STRANGE related AMULETS, MEDALLIONS, PENDANTS and CHARMS (y’know… dangly-things you wear around your neck).

Once again, the best way is to go chronologically, by year of acquisition (or creation).

My first “Doctor Strange” AMULET of course had to be the biggie:

THE EYE OF AGAMOTTO!


…Created by myself back in 1987 as a part of my DR. STRANGE costume (which can be seen in its own post [HERE]).  However, I’m not going to get into this item too much here, as it deserves a post all of its own (which it will as the next entry of this current sub-series).
I WILL say that it is 4” in diameter and 2.25” thick (and can be a lethal weapon due to its unusual weight and density. Seriously... you could totally kill someone with this thing).

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Next, is another of my custom-made bits of swag: a Medallion, cast in silver, with black enamel backing, in the shape of the window of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum (or, at least, my rendition of it), which I commissioned a silversmith-artist/friend of mine to make to my specifications in 1992 (or 1993).


The amulet is 1 and 1/8 inches (3cm) in diameter, and I had two made: one to wear and one to keep in my display case.
However, this item did indeed already garner its own blog post (which can be found in Part 2 of the “Magic Rings and Mystic Bling” series [HERE]).
Read all about it there!

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The next item is a bit of self-indulgent “what-iffery”. A 1.5” wide triangular (or pyramidal) shaped “Eye of Agamotto”.


My reasoning for it harkens back to issue #13 of the “DOOM 2099” comic, wherein it was stated that there were 3 Eyes of Agamotto. So in my mind, if the 1st “lesser”eye was the original square amulet, and the 2nd “greater” Eye being the round “Eye of Agamotto” we all know and love, then the 3rd eye should be a triangular one, no?

Anyway, I found this in a Party Supply store where I was painting a mural (during the time when I was a mural artist – painting on the walls of business and palatial mansions alike) in 1995. While it might actually be merely a party-favor… to me it was a fanboy discovery.

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Since “All-Seeing Eyes” are the obvious contender for mystic amulets, it’s no surprise that the next entry is touted not only as “the Eye of Agamotto” but also by its real nomenclature; the ‘Eye of Buddha”.



A charm to ward off the Evil Eye, the Eye of Buddha originates from Nepal and shows the eye of wisdom surrounded by the “snail martyrs” (the story of the snail martyrs is as thus: When the Buddha sat to meditate by a tree, he fell into such a deep trance that he failed to realize that the sun’s position had changed and he was in peril of baking to death in it’s hot rays. Seeing the master in danger, 108 passing snails crawled upon his brow and coated his bald head with their life-juices, sacrificing their lives for his – so often when a portrait or statue of the master is seen, its head is adorned with martyr snails – the ultimate tribute to those selfless molluscs.)

When Steve Ditko designed Doctor Strange’s “Eye of Agamotto” the likeness to the “Eye of Buddha” was too close for coincidence (much like the likeness of the Wand of Watoomb to another mystic item, a Tibetan Dorje).

Anyway, these Eye of Buddha / Agamotto amulets are 1.5” in diamteter, and like many items in my collection, I have one to wear and one strictly for display.

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What comes next is not really a "Doctor Strange" item, but one that resembles a Doctor Strange themed design ...



Made of sterling silver, and .5" high/wide... while this might LOOK like the symbol that is on the front of Strange's tunic, it is in fact the 23rd letter in the Greek alphabet; "Psi" (but c'mon! it's close enough).

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Next are two charms featuring hand-gestures that should be familiar to any magic fan…

The first is a “mano cornuto” (“horned hand”) charm, designed to ward off the evil eye.


I had one similar to this one many decades ago, acquired from someone, somewhere, at some time in my youth (until it was presumably lost during a move), until I bought another fairly recently as a replacement (strictly for my Doctor Strange collection, as I am unconcerned about the "evil eye").

2.1cm high, .8cm wide, made of sterling silver.

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The second hand gesture is the “American Sign Language” gesture for “I LOVE YOU”.


17mm tall, 11mm wide and made of pewter silver.

And if we’ve known anything about Doctor Strange over the decades, with his hands kept in that position whist casting magic, he’s been saving the Earth-Dimension from evil with the power of love for over 50 years!

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Come back soon for a SPECIAL ENTRY showcasing the EYE of AGAMOTTO (shown at the top of this post) in a solo entry!

Then, come back for the finale of the Artifacts of Flair sub-series: MAGIC RINGS!


Previous parts of the
MYSTIC GARB : DR. STRANGE APPAREL SERIES:

- part 1 : CAPS and TIES : [HERE]
- part 2 : SOLO APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 3 : TEAM-UP APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 4 : THE "OTHERS" / "6-DIMENSIONS" T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 5 : "THE END" of GARMENTS  : [HERE]

And the sub-series...

ARTIFACTS of FLAIR:
- part 1: PATCHES of POWER: [HERE]
- part 2: BUTTONS & PINS: [HERE]
- part 3: MYSTIC AMULETS [HERE]
- part 3a: EYE of AGAMOTTO: [next]
- part 4: MAGIC RINGS: [soon]

1 comments:

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