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Cursed! Opening Day Tour with the Curator

Date: March 21, 2026, Time: 11:30–12:30 p.m., Location: Glass Pavilion, Gallery 5, Cost: Free for members, $10 for non-members

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PROGRAM: Cursed! Opening Day Tour with the Curator
Member Adult

$10.00

Non Member Adult

$10.00

Member Child

$10.00

Non Member Child

$10.00

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Program Details

Cursed! Opening Day Tour with the Curator

Saturday, March 21 | 11:30–12:30 p.m. | Glass Pavilion, Gallery 5

Free for members, $10 for non-members

 

Magic was feared, woven into daily life, and powerful enough to shape destiny. Experience opening day with a curator-led tour of Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World, as Dr. Jeffrey Spier guides visitors through love charms, curse tablets, and protective objects dating from 2000 BCE to 300 CE across the ancient Mediterranean and Near East. See the exhibition through the eyes of its curator in this rare, limited opportunity to travel through ancient belief and ritual.

Dr. Jeffrey Spier is a scholar of ancient art and material culture, with expertise spanning Greek and Roman art, ancient gems and jewelry, early Christian and Byzantine art, and the history of collecting. He earned his doctorate at Merton College, Oxford, and previously taught classical archaeology at University College London and the University of Arizona. From 2014 until his retirement in early 2024, he served as Senior Curator of Antiquities at the J. Paul Getty Museum, where he organized and curated numerous major exhibitions and publications. His books include Ancient Gems and Finger Rings, Picturing the Bible, and Late Byzantine Rings. Spier’s work brings the ancient world to life through objects, images, and the enduring power of belief and ritual.

 

Guests are invited to meet at the entrance to the exhibition and check in 5-10 minutes before the tour begins.

If you need accommodations, assistance, or appropriate modifications to fully participate in this event, please let us know by contacting Access Initiatives at [email protected]. Please note that while we endeavor to provide everyone with a positive visitor experience, last-minute requests may not be accommodated; we ask for requests to be made, at minimum, three days prior to the event. Thank you.
 
If you've registered but can no longer attend, kindly notify the museum as soon as possible so we can accommodate others.
 
Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World is a ticketed exhibition, tickets can be ordered during the registration of this event. Exhibition tickets are free always for members. Learn more about membership here. Members will receive their discount on tickets at checkout based on membership level. Members will receive their discount on tickets at checkout based on membership level.

 

Ticket Age Ranges

Unless otherwise noted, ticket categories are defined as follows:

• Ages 0–4: Free, no ticket required
• Ages 5–17: Child ticket
• Ages 18 and up: Adult ticket

These age ranges apply to events and exhibition tickets only. Programs such as classes and the Family Center may follow different guidelines.

 

Cursed! The Power of Magic in the Ancient World is made possible through the generous support of Presenting Sponsors Susan and Tom Palmer, Season Sponsor Taylor Automotive Family, and Silver Sponsors Edward W. and Barnwell E. Lane III, the Toledo Museum of Art Ambassadors, and the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.
 
Header Image: Cobra amulet. Egyptian, 25th–31st Dynasties, 747–332 BCE. Faience, 2 × 1 × 1/4 in. (5.1 × 2.5 × 0.6 cm). Toledo Museum of Art, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1906.151. Photo: Toledo Museum of Art