Blue jasper gem: Anguipes in Ouroboros (A) jackal-headed figure with voces (B)
Dark gray jasper, upright oval with two flat faces, trapezoid section. (Shape 8–9). Small chips along the lower edge.
Acquired by the Musée BIBLE+ORIENT in 2009 from Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger, Munich.
Side A: An Ouroboros, with its head positioned at the top left, encircles the frontal depiction of an Anguipes with a cock's head, clad in armour. The Anguipes faces right, raising his right hand high while holding a whip, while his left hand is concealed behind a round shield, which is shown in profile. Adjacent to the shield, there is a six-pointed star and a crescent lying open towards the top. Below the figure, inscription in one line: ιαω → Ἰάω.
Side B: A jackal-headed figure (Anubis) is depicted wearing a kilt and boots, facing right. There is an eight-pointed star to the right of the head. The right hand of the figure is lowered beside the body, he holds a basket-like vessel. The left arm is bent at the elbow and extended outward, holding another vessel. Below the figure, inscription in one line: ιαω → Ἰάω; surrounding the figure and starting from the bottom left, additional inscriptions include: αβρασα|ζ → a variant of Ἀβρασάξ; νυ|βψ → reference to Χνουβίς (?).
Selected bibliography
• Herrmann–Staubli 2010 >>, 181–182; 185, Fig. 1.
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