Gods on small things: Egyptian monumental iconography on late antique magical gems and the Greek and Demotic magical papyri
Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: Ancient Egyptian religious imagery—ranging from Horus and Seth contending for the throne of the kingdom to Anubis in the act of embalming the deceased—is well known from Egyptian temples, tomb walls, and ubiquitous cippi. Less well known but equally fascinating are the miniature representations of these images engraved on small magical gems produced with a personal function in mind. How exactly did iconography from Pharaonic Egyptian tradition make its way from the walls of temples and tombs onto magical gems used by individuals in Late Antiquity? This chapter is a presentation of comparative material from the Greek and Demotic magical papyri and sets the imagery on the gems in the context of the Graeco-Egyptian ritual tradition. It entails an examination of the relationship between the gems and the papyri, in the case of Egyptian influenced iconography, and a consideration of the likely agents of transmission for the traditional Egyptian monumental iconography, which may be found on both the magical gems and papyri.
Source: Pallas
DOI: 10.4000/pallas.2130
Author: Nick West
Institution: University of Reading
Language: English
Subfield: Archeology
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W298943890