DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41333#0022
Grazyna Bqkowska
a snake.34 On another gem, within Ouroboros there
is only a scarab.35 Sometimes there are carved in-
scriptions and signs inside cartouches.
There are a large number of gems on which deco-
ration is limited to the Ouroboros circling either an
inscription or characteres. The majority of this type
are made of camelian, although there are also amu-
lets made of jasper and of greyish-white chalcedony.
White chalcedony was used to produce a yet un-
published gem located in the National Museum in
Poznan.36 Only its obverse bears decoration. It de-
picts Ouroboros circling two pairs of signs. One pair
consists of two crossed out Z-signs. This appears
very frequently on magical gems. Such a sign was
carved on gems with Chnoubis,37 amongst others.
Usually it repeats three times and refers perhaps to
the name of Zeus.38 The second sign is mysterious -
its meaning is unknown. No identical sign was found
on any other gem. The signs characteress are not yet
recognised. Some hypotheses tie them with seals de-
scribed in the Books of Jeu - due to these signs
a soul could pass through the eons.39 In the lower
part of the described depiction, a snake with
a grooved surface catches its tail in its jaws. On other
gems, the snake’s head is depicted in the upper part
34 Z. KISS, Amulettes magiques greco-egyptiennes au Musee
National de Varsavie, in: K.M. CIALOWICZ,
J.A. OSTROWSKI (eds.), Les Civilisations du Bassin
Mediterranean. Hommages a Joachim Sliwa, Cracovie 2000,
pp. 375-382, figs. 3,4.
35 SLIWA, Egyptian scarabs, pp. 74-75, fig. 97 and IDEM,
Gemma z przedstawieniem “Pantheosa” z kolekcji Kon-
stantego Schmidta-Ciqzynskiego, EOS'LXXVIII (1990),
pp.163-167.
36 Inv. No V 188; 23 x 16.5 x 5 mm.
37 BONNER, SMA, pp. 51 -60.
38 SLIWA, Egyptian scarab, pp. 75-76, fig. 98.
39 HENIG, Classical Gems, pp. 227-228, No 501; C. SCHMIDT.
The Books of Jeu and the Untitled Text in the Bruce Co-
dex, Leiden 1978; E.A.W. BUDGE, Amulets and Supersti-
tions, New York 1978 presents the subject of characteres
and ancient magic, see also A. WYPUSTEK, Magia
antyczna, Warszawa 2001.
40 DELATTE, DERCHAIN, Intailles magiques, pp. 333-
334, No 510.
41 PHILIPP, MM, p. 118, No 190.
42 M. SCHLUTER, G. PLATZ-HORSTER, P. ZAZOFF, Han-
nover, Kestner-Museum, Hamburg, Museum fiir Kunst
of a scene. Sometimes sunrays are visible on
Ouroboros’ head40-resembling rays around the head
of Chnoubis,41 or as is a marked ‘beard’.42 The de-
scribed gem is slightly destroyed but one can trace
delicate lines that perhaps mark a ‘beard’. On the gem
from Poznan, the snake’s jaws faces left and its body
has more or less the same thickness throughout its
length. Similarly, a snake is shown on another gem
where Ouroboros encircles two Z-signs, a rosette, and
Greek letters. However, the body of this snake is thicker
in the middle.43 Comparing the two amulets, the one
from Poznan seems to be made more cautiously. On
the second gem, the jaws of Ouroboros also point to
the left, encircling characteres and the word Abraxas.44
The jaws are reminiscent of the head of a lion. There is
also a beard marked. Such composition refer to pic-
tures of either Chnoubis or Kronos-Sabaoth.45
The magical gem from Poznan is one more exam-
ple of an ancient object bearing the motif of a snake
devouring its own tail. Its description was the pretext
for some remarks, which trace the manner of en-
graving and the functions of Ouroboros. Further re-
search may lead to interesting new conclusions and
observations concerning the motif.
und Gewerbe, Antike Gemmen in Deutschen Sammlun-
gen IV, Wiesbaden 1975, p. 312, No 1719.
43 P. GERCKE. V. SCHERF, P. ZAZOFF, Herzog-Anton-Ul-
rich-Museum Braunschweig, Sammlung im Archdologi-
schen Institut der Universitat Gottingen, Staatliche
Kunstsammlungen Kassel, Antiken Gemmen in Deut-
schen Sammlungen III, Wiesbaden 1970 (hereinafter
referred to as: Herzog-Anton-Ulrich-Museum), No 205.
44 E. BRAND, Staatlich Miinzsammlunng Miinchen, Antike
Gemmen in Deutschen Sammlungen 1.3, Miinchen 1972,
p. 279, No 2894.
45 A. MASTROCINQUE, Metamorfosi di Kronos su una
gemma di Bologna. The Symposium in Verona, Gemme
gnostiche - cultura ellenistica (materials in the press).
Sabaoth was the most powerful of the archonts - the rul-
ers of heaven's spheres. According to MASTROCINQUE,
three Hebrew names - Iao, Sabaoth, and Adonai - corre-
spond to three animal forms. In his considerations, he writes
about a snake, a lion, and a pig. The last animal is also
mentioned on one magical gem - uoedh(z), where
Ouroboros is depicted on the obverse encircling
characteres, GERCKE, SCHERF, ZAZOFF, Herzog-Anton-
Ulrich-Museum, p. 59, No 195.
16
a snake.34 On another gem, within Ouroboros there
is only a scarab.35 Sometimes there are carved in-
scriptions and signs inside cartouches.
There are a large number of gems on which deco-
ration is limited to the Ouroboros circling either an
inscription or characteres. The majority of this type
are made of camelian, although there are also amu-
lets made of jasper and of greyish-white chalcedony.
White chalcedony was used to produce a yet un-
published gem located in the National Museum in
Poznan.36 Only its obverse bears decoration. It de-
picts Ouroboros circling two pairs of signs. One pair
consists of two crossed out Z-signs. This appears
very frequently on magical gems. Such a sign was
carved on gems with Chnoubis,37 amongst others.
Usually it repeats three times and refers perhaps to
the name of Zeus.38 The second sign is mysterious -
its meaning is unknown. No identical sign was found
on any other gem. The signs characteress are not yet
recognised. Some hypotheses tie them with seals de-
scribed in the Books of Jeu - due to these signs
a soul could pass through the eons.39 In the lower
part of the described depiction, a snake with
a grooved surface catches its tail in its jaws. On other
gems, the snake’s head is depicted in the upper part
34 Z. KISS, Amulettes magiques greco-egyptiennes au Musee
National de Varsavie, in: K.M. CIALOWICZ,
J.A. OSTROWSKI (eds.), Les Civilisations du Bassin
Mediterranean. Hommages a Joachim Sliwa, Cracovie 2000,
pp. 375-382, figs. 3,4.
35 SLIWA, Egyptian scarabs, pp. 74-75, fig. 97 and IDEM,
Gemma z przedstawieniem “Pantheosa” z kolekcji Kon-
stantego Schmidta-Ciqzynskiego, EOS'LXXVIII (1990),
pp.163-167.
36 Inv. No V 188; 23 x 16.5 x 5 mm.
37 BONNER, SMA, pp. 51 -60.
38 SLIWA, Egyptian scarab, pp. 75-76, fig. 98.
39 HENIG, Classical Gems, pp. 227-228, No 501; C. SCHMIDT.
The Books of Jeu and the Untitled Text in the Bruce Co-
dex, Leiden 1978; E.A.W. BUDGE, Amulets and Supersti-
tions, New York 1978 presents the subject of characteres
and ancient magic, see also A. WYPUSTEK, Magia
antyczna, Warszawa 2001.
40 DELATTE, DERCHAIN, Intailles magiques, pp. 333-
334, No 510.
41 PHILIPP, MM, p. 118, No 190.
42 M. SCHLUTER, G. PLATZ-HORSTER, P. ZAZOFF, Han-
nover, Kestner-Museum, Hamburg, Museum fiir Kunst
of a scene. Sometimes sunrays are visible on
Ouroboros’ head40-resembling rays around the head
of Chnoubis,41 or as is a marked ‘beard’.42 The de-
scribed gem is slightly destroyed but one can trace
delicate lines that perhaps mark a ‘beard’. On the gem
from Poznan, the snake’s jaws faces left and its body
has more or less the same thickness throughout its
length. Similarly, a snake is shown on another gem
where Ouroboros encircles two Z-signs, a rosette, and
Greek letters. However, the body of this snake is thicker
in the middle.43 Comparing the two amulets, the one
from Poznan seems to be made more cautiously. On
the second gem, the jaws of Ouroboros also point to
the left, encircling characteres and the word Abraxas.44
The jaws are reminiscent of the head of a lion. There is
also a beard marked. Such composition refer to pic-
tures of either Chnoubis or Kronos-Sabaoth.45
The magical gem from Poznan is one more exam-
ple of an ancient object bearing the motif of a snake
devouring its own tail. Its description was the pretext
for some remarks, which trace the manner of en-
graving and the functions of Ouroboros. Further re-
search may lead to interesting new conclusions and
observations concerning the motif.
und Gewerbe, Antike Gemmen in Deutschen Sammlun-
gen IV, Wiesbaden 1975, p. 312, No 1719.
43 P. GERCKE. V. SCHERF, P. ZAZOFF, Herzog-Anton-Ul-
rich-Museum Braunschweig, Sammlung im Archdologi-
schen Institut der Universitat Gottingen, Staatliche
Kunstsammlungen Kassel, Antiken Gemmen in Deut-
schen Sammlungen III, Wiesbaden 1970 (hereinafter
referred to as: Herzog-Anton-Ulrich-Museum), No 205.
44 E. BRAND, Staatlich Miinzsammlunng Miinchen, Antike
Gemmen in Deutschen Sammlungen 1.3, Miinchen 1972,
p. 279, No 2894.
45 A. MASTROCINQUE, Metamorfosi di Kronos su una
gemma di Bologna. The Symposium in Verona, Gemme
gnostiche - cultura ellenistica (materials in the press).
Sabaoth was the most powerful of the archonts - the rul-
ers of heaven's spheres. According to MASTROCINQUE,
three Hebrew names - Iao, Sabaoth, and Adonai - corre-
spond to three animal forms. In his considerations, he writes
about a snake, a lion, and a pig. The last animal is also
mentioned on one magical gem - uoedh(z), where
Ouroboros is depicted on the obverse encircling
characteres, GERCKE, SCHERF, ZAZOFF, Herzog-Anton-
Ulrich-Museum, p. 59, No 195.
16