ClassificationsGreek and Roman Art

Intaglio with Bes-Pantheos

Possible OriginEgypt, Africa

CultureRoman

PeriodImperial

Date3rd Century CE

MediumLapis lazuli

Credit LineGift of the Estate of Michael J. Shubin

Dimensions5/8 x 9/16 x 1/8 in. (1.6 x 1.4 x 0.3 cm)

Object number2008.031.111

Label TextAn ithyphallic, four-winged Bes-Pantheos stands front, his feet turned to the right. His chest is bare and his legs furry, and he has the tail of a bird and of a crocodile, both extending to the left. Three animal protomes project from either side of his head. He wears an atef crown and a strap across his chest, and holds a was-scepter in his left hand; another scepter stands to either side. He stands on an ourobos-cartouche containing two birds (?).

Depictions of winged Bes, known conventionally as Pantheos because of the combination of elements associated with various deities, are common on Roman-period amulets. They often appear on lapis lazuli, which was associated in Egyptian art with the protection of the night sky and may have enforced the combined potency of the multiple gods whose aid the amulet invoked.

ProvenanceEx coll. Michael Shubin (1950-2008), Montebello, California.

Status

Not on view

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