Onyx gem: Greek inscription inside Ouroboros (A) letters and characteres inside Ouroboros (B)

PP-ID:

PP-1116

Classification:

gem, magical

Collection ID:

US-NY-MET-GRA_15.43.317

Collection:

New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Department of Greek and Roman Art

Collection Inventory:

15.43.317

Reference Numbers:

Bonner, SMA D. 284; Michel, DMG, no. 28.4.a_24

Former Collections:

Palmer Draper, Mary Anna (New York, 1839–1914)

Material:

onyx, yellow to gray

Dimensions:

28.5 × ca. 27.5 mm

Iconography:

Ouroboros; stars (4)

Divine Names & Voces:

Ἰάω; vocales; Ἀβραάμ; Ἰακώβ; Βαράχ; Ἰσαάκ

Provenience:

Cyrene

Logoi:

αιαναγβα-logos and variants

Banded onyx gem, almost round. (Shape 8–9). Intact, save for minor chips at the edge. From the bequest of Mary Anna Palmer Draper, 1915.

Side A: Sixteen lines of Greek inscription enclosed in an Ouroboros snake:
ιεουωηιαηα|ιηωυοθαβρααμ|ισακιακωβαραχια|ωαβραθιαωβαρβαρα|διανα[..]ααμοραχθισαλαμ||
αξαβαμεαζασαμαζαμου|δαθιωθαρμαραθεσιστωαβ|αδαλαακαρηβελθιουηθειαθ|αρδηβητακορρουθιεπιστω||
ελληιθααθαλλεαμενιωεξ|αιωτοντρωδαανανα|βλαλλμαιασαυαμθ|μεμωηχφεωχθεχ|θιφιχμεηλαθαρ|
αβαρωθθαρ[.]|[.]βιαωθ → voces including vocales (1-2), Ἀβραάμ, Ἰσα<ά>κ, Ἰακώβ, Βαράχ Ἰάω (2-4), αιαναγβα-logos (5-6).
Side B: Ouroboros enclosing six lines of letters and characteres, including six- and eight-pointed stars.

Selected bibliography
• Bonner, SMA >>, 300–301, D. 284; click here for the full-text excerpt.
• Gianniobile 2002 >>, 176 (for the 'salamaxa'-formula).
• For the provenience of the gem, see Á. M. Nagy, in Phoinix Research Notes 01, 2026.

Further resources on PP-1116
• The MET Collections

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Last modified:

2026.10.10 17:19:32

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https://phoinixplatform.org/object/1116

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