Bertolami Fine Art - Riversdell Close 27, KT16 9JW Chertsey
Auction 86 - Glyptics and Ancient Jewelry sessione unica
Wednesday 9 December 2020 hours 14:00 (UTC +01:00)
An unusual roman magical agate intaglio with red and green inclusions. Zodiacal representation of Gemini.
An unusual roman magical agate intaglio with red and green inclusions. Zodiacal representation of Gemini.
2nd - 3rd century A.D.
15 x 19 x 2 mm
The scene depicts a naked male figure, with two heads, and a snake wrapped around his body, whose double head covering the polymorphic figure. Each of the heads looks in a opposite direction, one on the left, the other on the right. Groundline.
This representation reminds the egyptian zodiac for Gemini sign, which has for animal the snake (Mastrocinque, 2014) and describes by Teucros the Babylonian.
In the PGM III. 275-81, the Moon on Gemini is the time says for bounding spells (which can be symbolized by the snake wrapped around the two faces body).
Traces on the iron mounting on the backside.
Rare representation. Very nice variety of stone for this large and unusual amulet.
Bibliography :
Betz, The Greek magical papyri in translation, 1992, p.26
Mastrocinque, Les intailles magiques du départements des Monnaies, Médailles et Antiques, 2014
U.K. private collection