Bertolami Fine Art - Piazza Lovatelli 1, 00186 Roma
ASTA 267 - GLITTICA ASTA 267 - GLITTICA
Friday 7 July 2023 hours 12:30 (UTC +00:00)
A LARGE GREEN AND YELLOW JASPER MAGICAL INTAGLIO. BES-PANTHEOS.
A LARGE GREEN AND YELLOW JASPER MAGICAL INTAGLIO. BES-PANTHEOS.
Possibly 2nd - 3rd A.D. and 20th century?
12x16x5 mm
The deity is depicted with the bearded head of Bes encrowned with a composite crown. Head surrounds by animals protome. With human body, he wears a double pair of wings and arms ending with was scepters. In his right hand he holds the flagellum and the heka, meanwhile in the left, he holds a scorpion. He wears jackal-heads sandals on top of an ouroboros with inside, turtle, crocodile, cobra and a quadrupede. the ityphallic gesture is typical to this divinity sy;bolizing his creative nature. On the backside; inside an ouroboros, a vase with the Kheper at the base and three large phallus emerging. Between, two stars. On each side, a scepter with snake and a column with a canopic jar. The vase is supported by a crocodile facing right. Beneath, three snakes and a lion facin left. In the field, "ΑΧΑΝΑ". Chips on the edge, wear marks.
For a similar gem Michel 2001 / Die Magischen Gemmen im Britischen Museum (161)
Bonner 1950 / Studies in magical amulets, chiefly Graeco-Egyptian
CBd / The Campbell Bonner Magical Gems Database Online (559)
Provenance: U.K. private collection acquired on the british art market.