| Date | Roman Imperial Period |
|---|---|
| Object type | gem |
| Medium, technique | engraved, haematite |
| Dimensions | 0.31 × 0.14 × 0.4 cm |
| Inventory number | 55.154 |
| Collection | Classical Antiquities |
| On view | Museum of Fine Arts, Basement Floor, Classical Antiquity, The ancient Mediterranean |
Upright oblong, both faces flat. Haematite. A: Phoenix (Horus) with nimbus and six rays around the head, standing to left on a globe (Osiris) placed upon a column. Below, a crocodile, to right; above, a scarab with outstretched wings (representation of the Egyptian sun god in different forms). On the two sides, pairs of animals: swallows facing inwards, scorpions crawling to top, and snakes with ‘hands’ raised in protection, standing for Isis and Nephthys. Beside the phoenix, a pair of S-shaped characteres (Bonner: worms?). B: Inscription in three lines: πε|πτ|ε → πέπτε. ‘Digest!’. Beneath: Chnoubis-sign. The magos – the gem – commands the client’s stomach in the name of the deity invoked by the images to do what it has to: digest!
This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.
