Egg-shaped heliotrope gem: Osiris, sphinx, characteres
Egg-shaped heliotrope gem. Intact. Bequeathed to the Museum in 1914 from the collection of Emilio Seletti (Milan), who had purchased it from Luca Gandaglia in 1904. Post-antique.
The surface of the egg is completely covered with images and signs in a loose arrangement. The signs include Greek letters (rho, epsilon, theta) and pseudo-hieroglyphs (birds, snakes, eyes, mouth, water and reed signs?). There are two larger images: the standing figure of an Osiris-mummy, and a recumbent sphinx. The head of the mummy is decorated with a large wig or headdress; a long necklace is worn on the chest; the body is divided into four registers by straps reminiscent of mummy bandages; the fifth register forms the feet. The two arms extend to the right and left; a small figure appears above each forearm, touching the mummy's shoulder. The sphinx appears opposite the mummy, lying on a baseline in profile to the right; the tail curves upward and to the front.
The tip and base of the egg are undecorated.
Unpublished. Description based on close observation of the piece by Á. M. Nagy, 2026.
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