SOCIETY FOR ASIAN ART Lotus LeavesVolume 22 Number 2 Mandaeans: An Ancient Religion of West Asia by Mitra Ara, PhD 3 Spring 2020 Trans-Mission: Sino-Mexican Art in Alta California by Dr. Mariachiara Gasparini 15 About the Society Board of Advisors Directors 2019–2020 The Society for Asian Art is a 501(c)(3) 2019–2020 Mitra Ara, PhD nonprofit organization that was incorporated President Terese Bartholomew, MA in 1958 by a group of enlightened citizens Trista Berkovitz dedicated to winning Avery Brundage’s Patricia Berger, PhD Vice President magnificent art collection for San Francisco. Margaret Edwards M.L. Pattaratorn Since that time, we have been an Chirapravati, PhD Vice President independent support organization for the Ehler Spliedt Kim Codella, PhD Asian Art Museum-Chong-Moon Lee Center Secretary Robert J. Del Bonta, PhD for Asian Art and Culture. Etsuko Kobata Renee Dreyfus, PhD For more than sixty years, we have offered Treasurer Penny Edwards, PhD a wide range of innovative, high-quality Ed Baer Munis D. Faruqui, PhD educational and cultural programs, along Edith Benay Karen Fraser, PhD with social (and culinary) events where Margaret Booker Nalini Ghuman, PhD participants share their knowledge and Lynne Brewer Robert Goldman, PhD enthusiasm. SAA’s popular Arts of Asia Deborah Clearwaters* Sally Sutherland Lecture Series, open to all, is the core of the Kalpana Desai Goldman, PhD museum’s docent-training curriculum. We Gloria Garaventa Munir Jiwa, PhD sponsor foreign and domestic travel, visits to private art dealers and collections, in-depth Kirk Gibson Sanjyot Mehendale, PhD study groups, special lectures by leading Tom Ihrig Mary-Ann Milford- scholars, literature courses and symposia. Nancy Jacobs Lutzker, PhD Some of our programming supports specific Phyllis Kempner John Nelson, PhD exhibitions. Etsuko Kobata Benjamin W. Porter, PhD Peggy Mathers Sugata Ray, PhD Forrest McGill* Stephen Roddy, PhD Lawrence Mock Richard E. Vinograd, PhD Howard Moreland John Wallace, PhD John Nelson Julia White, MA Pamela Royse John Zarobell, PhD Kathleen Slobin Advisors Emeriti Society Nazneen Spiedt Albert Dien, PhD Marsha Vargas Handley Lewis Lancaster, PhD Diane Weber Joanna Williams, PhD for Asian Sylvia Wong Kasey Yang Art *ex officio Mandaeans: LOTUS LEAVES An Ancient Religion of West Asia by Mitra Ara, PhD Figure 1-1: Saint John Baptizing in the River Jordan, by Nicolas Poussin, French, 1594-665. Public domain for education, courtesy of Getty Museum. The name “Mandaeans” may not be as familiar to researcher as well as the reader. Nonetheless, it readers as other ethnic or religious groups in the is possible to shed some light on their miraculous Near East (West Asia), such as the Mesopota- survival and known practices. Mandaeism is an mians or Persians. Unveiling Mandaean tradition, important and fascinating living religion recog- an enigmatic ancient gnostic religious group that nized as a branch of Gnosticism, possessing has survived for millennia on the fringe of soci- the largest volume of gnostic literature. Among eties in obscurities, can be challenging for the the most ancient of the world’s religions, they Spring 2020 Volume 22 Number 2 Copyright 2020, Society for Asian Art 3 LOTUS LEAVES Figure 1-2: Map of Iran-Iraq borders where Mandaean communities are settled near the rivers in southeastern Iraq and Iran. Wilson Center, article “Iran’s Role in Iraq” by Garrett Nada https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/part-1-irans-role-iraq. have preserved their tradition through periods of since the situation has worsened for them in their prosperity, exile, and persecution.1 The Mandae- traditional homelands. Yet, those homelands are ans have lived a relatively isolated existence for the areas where Mandaean culture and religion are thousands of years, residing in Mesopotamia at most zealously preserved. As a result, continued the convergence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers emigration threatens the survival of their unique in Iraq and the Karun river in Iran, a region known beliefs and customs. today as Shatt-al-Arab (Figure 1-2). Currently this area is included in the southern region of Iraq and For centuries Mandaeans have appeared, dis- the southwestern sector of Iran.2 This part of West appeared, and reappeared in historical records. Asia has undergone enormous turmoil over the They first became known in the West in the 13th last four decades, prompting many Mandaeans century through an Italian Dominican monk, who to emigrate, settling for the most part in Australia, traveled at length in Palestine, Armenia, Turkey, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, other parts of Persia, and Mesopotamia, but his reports were Europe, and in North America. not printed until much later. Portuguese Catholic missionaries from the 17th century referred to Today, the research into the origin of Mandaean the Mandaeans as “disciples of John the Baptist,” religion further supports the belief that Palestine, and this statement remained in the European the Jordan valley, was the original site of the literature until the 19th century when the title Mandaeans, who followed John the Baptist. “John-Christians” was also used. This is an From there, they rapidly migrated into southern inaccurate label, since the Mandaeans do not Mesopotamia. There has never been a precise describe themselves as Christians. They do, census of the number of Mandaeans globally. however, regard John the Baptist to be only one Estimates generally range around 100,000– of their prophets or priests; they are thus 700,000.3 Mandaeans are now emigrating from occasionally called “John the Baptist’s followers.” Iran, Iraq, and war-torn Syria in greater numbers, John the Baptist is part of a lineage that they trace 4 Spring 2020 Volume 22 Number 2 Copyright 2020, Society for Asian Art LOTUS LEAVES Figure 1-3: Water represents purity and renewal for Mandaeans. Woman is baptized by a priest in the Nepean river in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. Courtesy of ABC News, Brendan Esposito. back to Adam, Abel, Seth, Enosh, Noah, Shem, mythologies and religious beliefs that convey and Aram. Mandaeans recognize the latter three a sharply dualistic worldview. These texts are prophets as their direct ancestors. Unlike other written in a language called Mandaic, part of the Abrahamic believers, the Mandaeans do not eastern Aramaic language and writing system. recognize Abraham, Moses, Jesus, or Muhammed Few Mandaeans outside the priesthood still as true prophets. They are opposed to Abraham speak that language today. There are limited because of his practice of circumcision. numbers who remain conversant in Neo- Mandaic, a modern survival of that ancient The name Mandaean can be traced back tongue. See Figure 1-4. To perform their rituals to the ancient Aramaic manda, which means and ceremonies, Mandaeans gather at religious knowledge, equivalent to the ancient Greek word centers called mandi (houses of knowledge/ gnosis. In Arabic, the Mandaeans are referred to manda) as well as at cultural centers, particularly as “Sabians/Subbas,” according to references in in diaspora communities. The emblem of the the Koran (Qur’an: Islam Holy Book). Their men- Mandaean faith is the darfash, a cross of olive tion in the Qur’an has allowed the Mandaeans wood half covered with a piece of white silk to be tolerated in Islamic lands. The Arabic word cloth, and seven branches of myrtle. The darfash that refers to them stems from the Aramaic seba, is displayed at churches (Mandaean Houses) at which means to immerse in water or baptize.4 every ritual, ceremony, and baptismal sites; in Baptism, a solemn sacramental submerging in homes; and as ornamental objects, which they flowing water in the presence of a priest, is one may wear. See Figure 1-5. The white color in of the most notable rites of the Mandaean religion church decorations or in clothing worn during (Figure 1-3). baptism and certain ceremonies traditionally symbolizes faith, purity, and the light of the soul. Other representative facets of the Mandaean See Figure 1-6. The hierarchy of the Mandaean faith can be found in voluminous texts recording priesthood consists of three levels: disciples, Spring 2020 Volume 22 Number 2 Copyright 2020, Society for Asian Art 5 LOTUS LEAVES Figure 1-4: Aramaic writing. Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales, Australia, Oral History and Sound Collection. Figure 1-5: Darfash-cross, the symbol of Mandaeism. Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales, Australia, Oral History and Sound Collection. 6 Spring 2020 Volume 22 Number 2 Copyright 2020, Society for Asian Art LOTUS LEAVES Figure 1-6: The Mandaean church in New South Wales, Australia, displaying the altar with the sacred text, and the darfash-cross in white color. Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales, Australia, Oral History and Sound Collection. treasurers, and the people’s leader. This last Gnosticism, and especially Iranian (Persian) reli- post, at the head of the priesthood, has remained gious movements such as Zoroastrianism, Mani- unfilled for several years. The highest Mandaean cheanism, Mazdakism, and others.6 spiritual office held at present is called the ganzibra (treasurer), a title dating back to Aramaic The ancient Iranian influence on Mandaean scripture from ancient Persia and connected to spiritual beliefs is evident in several spheres. ginza “treasury/treasure.” Thus, priests are the The types of words used in Mandaean religious “treasurers.”5 practices, the myths and scriptural texts, the rites, and the calendar all owe something to Iranian traditions. Living at such close quarters, the Mandaeans were no doubt exposed to Iranian History spiritual traditions, particularly Zoroastrianism. They may also have been subjects of the Iranian The origins and beginnings of the Mandaeans Parthian (or Arsacid) empire, which lasted from remain obscure, owing to the limited number of 3rd BCE to 3rd century CE, and the subsequent historical accounts or records that refer to them.