Engraved magnetite gem with an anguipede

An image of Engraved gems. Magical amulet. Obverse: The solar deity known as Abrasax, with its body placed frontally and head turned right. The deity has the head of a cock, the body of a Roman soldier dressed in cuirass and tunic, and legs formed from two-upward-curling snakes. In its left hand the anguipede holds a round shield and its right a whip. Seven stars are distributed throughout the field; two are placed above the anguipede, one to its right and four below on its left side. Surrounding is a legend. Reverse: a standing full-frontal, male figure with the head turned to the left, most probably the youthful Harpocrates. The god is wrapped in a himation: he carries a flail in his left hand and raises his right to his head, which is crowned with an over-large rendering of the opening lotus bud. Separated in the field are letters which spell the Gnostic magical name. Intaglio cutting, magnetite, 18* mm x 15 mm, circa 200-circa 400 AD. Roman Imperial.

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Engraved gems. Magical amulet. Obverse: The solar deity known as Abrasax, with its body placed frontally and head turned right. The deity has the head of a cock, the body of a Roman soldier dressed in cuirass and tunic, and legs formed from two-upward-curling snakes. In its left hand the anguipede holds a round shield and its right a whip. Seven stars are distributed throughout the field; two are placed above the anguipede, one to its right and four below on its left side. Surrounding is a legend. Reverse: a standing full-frontal, male figure with the head turned to the left, most probably the youthful Harpocrates. The god is wrapped in a himation: he carries a flail in his left hand and raises his right to his head, which is crowned with an over-large rendering of the opening lotus bud. Separated in the field are letters which spell the Gnostic magical name. Intaglio cutting, magnetite, 18* mm x 15 mm, circa 200-circa 400 AD. Roman Imperial.

Image data

Accession Number: CG 508
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/32.0
Focal length: 105
Camera: NIKON D800
Photographer name: Jaymes Sinclair
Image height: 1025 pixels
Image width: 684 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.4 (Windows)
Filesize: 380.32kB
Exposure time: 1/15
ISO Speed: 100
Fnumber: 32/1
Captured: 2014:04:24 16:37:16

Key words

3rd Century 4th Century AD amulet anguiped anguipede antiquity armour cock cockerell creature cuirass cult divine divinity engraved gem figure Fitz_ANT gemstones intaglio intaglio cutting magical amulet magnetite male ritual Roman Roman Imperial rooster serpent shield snake stars whips

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2026)
            "Engraved magnetite gem with an anguipede"
            Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/image/media-201400 Accessed: 2026-01-06 18:33:38

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