Magical gem: Harpocrates sitting on lotus (A) reclining figure (B)
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CBd-Number:
CBd-510
ID-Number:
GB-BM-MMEu_G 157, EA 56157
Collection:
GB_London, The British Museum
Inventory:
G 157 (EA 56157)
References:
Michel, BM, no. 110; Michel, DMG, no. 19.1.a_14
Former Collections:
Praun and Mertens Collection; Eastwood, George
Material:
jasper, green to black
Dimensions:
14 x 11 x 4.5 mm
Dating:
3rd c. AD (Michel)
Iconography:
Harpocrates sitting on lotus flower; torch?; object, unidentified; uraeus; wig?; flail; crown?; side-lock of youth; gesture, hand raised to mouth; Harpocrates seated with knees drawn up; mummy?
Divine Names & Voces:
Ἰάω; Ἀβλαναθαναλβα, variants
A: Horus-Harpocrates sitting to left on a lotus flower with knees drawn up. The lotus with the small horizontal stalks and the double baseline resembles a djed pillar. He is wearing a band or crown on his head, his right hand raised to mouth, his left holds a flail.
On the left side of the head: ια, on the right side of the head: ω → Ἰάω. On the left side of the figure: αβαλ, on the right side of the figure: βαλθαν → variant of Ἀβλαναθαναλβα-palindrome.
B: Reclining figure to left, wearing some kind of a head-cloth (wig?) on his head with an uraeus at the front. His legs are wrapped in bandage (as a mummy?). He is holding an unidentified object (rhyton or cornucopia?) in his streched right arm, while leaning onto a long bar (torch?) with his left hand.
A praxis known from a papyrus (PGM LXI 1-38) specifies that love charms had to be incised with the image of Horus on a lotus flower and the magical name Abraxas. Pieces with the Horus-scheme used as love charms: CBd-533, CBd-534.
Bibliography
Michel, BM on CBd-510
The British Museum Collection database on CBd-510
On the left side of the head: ια, on the right side of the head: ω → Ἰάω. On the left side of the figure: αβαλ, on the right side of the figure: βαλθαν → variant of Ἀβλαναθαναλβα-palindrome.
B: Reclining figure to left, wearing some kind of a head-cloth (wig?) on his head with an uraeus at the front. His legs are wrapped in bandage (as a mummy?). He is holding an unidentified object (rhyton or cornucopia?) in his streched right arm, while leaning onto a long bar (torch?) with his left hand.
A praxis known from a papyrus (PGM LXI 1-38) specifies that love charms had to be incised with the image of Horus on a lotus flower and the magical name Abraxas. Pieces with the Horus-scheme used as love charms: CBd-533, CBd-534.
Bibliography
Michel, BM on CBd-510
The British Museum Collection database on CBd-510
Last modified: 2020-12-29 20:56:09
Link:cbd.mfab.hu/cbd/510
CITE THIS PAGE
CBd-510. The Campbell Bonner Magical Gems Database (2010-), developed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, editor-in-chief: Á. M. Nagy.
Retrieved from: cbd.mfab.hu/cbd/510 on 16-09-2024.
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