Romano-Egyptian Green Jasper Intaglio, Osiris with Falcons & Jackals

Egypt, Romano-Egyptian, Roman Imperial period. An oval intaglio of deep green jasper with a flat face, a flat back, and a bevelled edge, engraved in reverse with a crowded little Egyptian pantheon. At the center stands a mummiform figure wearing a tall crown, perhaps Osiris, raised on what appears to be a pedestal or platform. Two birds, perhaps falcons, flank him, each topped by a sun disc. Below them sit two jackals with their muzzles raised as if howling. Every creature turns inward toward the central god, so the scene reads as one act of veneration. The cutting is quick and confident, with drilled and wheel-cut strokes that suggest form rather than model it. The stone was likely made to be set in a ring and may have served as a seal, an amulet, or both. Under Roman rule, Egypt's gem engravers worked for a clientele that moved easily between Greek, Roman, and pharaonic religious imagery. Osiris was lord of the dead and the guarantor of rebirth. He was traditionally shown wrapped like a mummy, wearing the tall atef crown, and was sometimes called "the green one" for his association with vegetation and renewal. That association made green stones a fitting choice for his image. In this period, the cult of Osiris, together with those of Isis and Serapis, spread throughout the Mediterranean. The flanking animals belong to the same funerary and solar circle. The falcon is the bird of Horus, son and avenger of Osiris, and the sun discs connect the birds to the daily rebirth of the sun. The jackal is the animal of Anubis, embalmer and guardian of the necropolis, and of Wepwawet, the "opener of the ways." Pairing falcons with jackals may also recall the Souls of Pe and Nekhen. These falcon-headed and jackal-headed ancestral spirits were traditionally shown hailing the rising sun and the resurrected king. If so, the jackals' raised muzzles here may be acclamation rather than a howl. Green jasper was a favorite stone of the Graeco-Egyptian gem workshops. Ancient lapidary texts credit it with protective and healing powers, so a ring stone like this one may have been prized as much for what it was thought to do as for how it looked. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 205884

Estimate:$400

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