Clay-Sealings From the Fayum

8/10/2019 Clay-Sealings From the Fayum

1/15

Clay-Sealings from the FayumAuthor(s): J. G. MilneSource: The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 26 (1906), pp. 32-45Published by: The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic StudiesStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/624341.

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2/15

CLAY-SEALINGS FROM

THE

FAYUM.

DURING

the excavations

of

Messrs.

Hogarth

Grenfell

and

Hunt

for the

Egypt Exploration

Fund in the

winter

of

1895-6

on

the site of

Karanis

(Kom

Ushim)

in the

Fayum,

a considerable number

of

clay-sealings

were

found,

mainly

in the cellars of

the Roman

houses. These

were

recently

put

in

my

hands

for

investigation

and offer some

interesting

material.

The

sealings

have

evidently

come from

various

kinds of

articles:

in

many

instances

the

clay

is too much

broken

for

any

determination

of the

shape

which it had taken to be

possible;

but

among

the better

preserved

pieces

are

examples

from the mouths of

bottles,

some of which

have been

squeezed

down into the neck like a

cork,

others

placed

over

a linen

covering,

sometimes

tied down with

cord: others are from the flat sides

of

wooden

boxes, often showing the marks of cord: others again from parcels of irregu-

lar

shape,

in some

cases

seemingly

wrapped

in

papyrus.

The

common

points

of all

are

that

they

consist of

lumps

of

Nile-mud,

and

that

they

have been

impressed,

while

the

clay

was

damp,

with

signets,

which were

presumably

those

of the

merchants

who

forwarded

the

goods upon

which

the

sealings

were

placed.

It

is

these

impressions

which

give

the interest to

this

collection,

and

they

are therefore

catalogued

in

the

following

list.

It should be

premised

that the

material

is not

a

good

one

for

taking

sharp impressions

from

intaglios,

and

therefore

the

descriptions

of

the

work

must in some cases be rather

vague.

Some of the

sealings,

also,

are

breaking

up

through

the

impregnation

of

the

clay

with

salt;

and

in

a few

instances

the

only

example

of

a

type

preserved

is

incomplete.

The

list,

however,

at-

tempts

to

give,

so far as

is

possible,

in

addition to

a

description

of

the

type

and

size

of

the

seal,

a

rough

classification of the

workmanship

:

the

number

of

impressions

of each

type

is added. In

the

descriptions,

the

position

of the

objects

is

as

they appear

on the

sealing.

A.-Graeco-Egyptian

and

Egyptian

Deities.

1. Head of Sarapis, facing, crownedwith modius.

Oval.

14

x 11 mm.

Fairly good.

(5)

2.

Bust

of

Sarapis

to

right,

wearing

modius:

hair bound

with

taenia.

Oval.

12

x

8

mm. Poor.

(3)

3.

Bust

of

Sarapis

to

right, wearing

modius:

hair bound

with

taenia.

Oval.

15

x

11 mm.

Fairly good.

(1)

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3/15

CLAY-SEALINGS

FROM THE FAYUM. 33

4.

Head of

Sarapis

to

right,

wearing

modius.

Oval.

15

x

10

nm.

Poor.

(5)

5. Head

of

Sarapis

to

right,

wearing

modius,

surrounded

by

legend

A

I

W)

N

C

APAl

IC

Oval. 12 x 10 mm. Moderate. (5)

6.

Bust

of

Sarapis

facing (impression

from

a

signet

in

high

relief).

(1)

7.

Head

of

Helios

Sarapis

to

right,

wearing

modius

and

radiate

crown:

in

front

an

object

(defaced).

Oval.

15

x

11 mm. Good.

(2)

8.

Sarapis

seated

to

right

on

throne with

high

back,

with

left

hand

stretched out

(part

of

impression

defaced).

Oval.

15

x

12 mm.

Fair

(?)

(1)

9.

Jugate

busts to

right

of

Sarapis,

wearing

modius and

taenia,

and

Isis,

crowned with

disk and

horns:

both

draped.

Oval.

12 5

x

10 5

mm. Fair. (11)

10.

Jugate

busts

to

right

of

Sarapis,

wearing

taenia,

and

Isis,

crowned

with disk and

horns:

both

draped.

Oval.

16 x

11-5 mm.

Fairly

good.

(2)

11.

Busts

of

Sarapis

to

right,

crowned with modius

:

behind,

bust of Isis

to

right,

crowned

with horns and

plumes:

before,

bust

of

hawk-headed

Horus

to

left,

crowned

with

modius.

Circular.

14

mm.

Rough.

(3)

12.

Busts

of

Sarapis

to

right, wearing

modius,

draped,

and hawk-headed

Horus

to

right,

draped,

divided

by

vertical line.

Circular.

11

mm.

Fairly

good.

(3)

13. Bust of

Sarapis

to

right,

flanked

by figures

of Dioscuri

standing

facing

with heads

turned inwards: below the bust, in two

lines,

the

name

WN

Rectangular.

16

x

12

mm.

Poor.

(1)

14.

Sarapis

standing

facing,

with

head

turned

to

left,

crowned with

modius,

wearing

chlamys

thrown

over

left

arm,

in

right

hand

holding patera

over

altar

: on

left,

Isis

standing

to

right,

crowned with

disk

and

horns,

wearing

long

chiton,

holding

in

left

hand

a wreath over head

of

Sarapis,

and

on

right

arm

a

cornucopiae.

Circular.

11

mm.

Fair.

(4)

15.

Bust

of

Sarapis

to

right,

crowned

with modius

:

below,

eagle

standing

with

wings

spread

and

raised,

head

to left.

Oval. 15 x

12

mm.

Coarse.

(2)

16.

Head

of

Sarapis

to

right:

in

front,

defaced

object

:

below,

eagle standing

turned

to

left,

with

wings

spread,

head

to

right.

Oval.

15 x 11

mm.

Coarse.

(1)

17.

Head of

Sarapis

to

right, wearing

taenia and crowned with

modius,

faced

by

ram

standing

to

left,

above

which

a

crescent.

Oval.

15 x11

mm.

Fair.

(4)

18.

Head

of

Sarapis

to

left,

crowned

with

modius,

faced

by

griffin standing

to

right.

Oval.

15 x

11

mm. Moderate.

(1)

19.

Bust of

Sarapis

to

right,

wearing

taenia and

crowned

with

modius,

flanked on

each

side

by

uraeus erect turned

inwards.

Circular. 19

mam.

Fairly

good.

(6)

20.

Bust of

Sarapis

to

right,

wearing

taenia and crowned

with

modius,

flanked on each

side

by

uraeus erect

turned inwards:

beneath,

a

horizontal line : below

this,

scarab

with

wings

spread.

Oval.

19

x 14

mm.

Poor.

(2)

IT.S.-VOL.

XXVI.

D



4/15

34

J. G. MILNE

21.

Bust

of

Sarapis

to

right,

crowned

with modius :

behind,

a vulture

(?)

to

right,

in

front,

a

hawk

to

left,

both

standing

on

a

horizontal line: from

the middle

of

this,

a

vertical line

dividing

lower

part

of

field,

on

each

side of which

a

lion

walking

inwards:

at bottom,

scarab with

wings spread.

Oval.

17

x 13

mnn.

Poor.

(1)

22.

Head

of

Sarapis

to

right,

flanked

by

erect uraei

turned

inwards:

below,

two

lions

standing

facing

each other: at

bottom,

scarab with

wings spread.

Oval. 17

x

12

mim.

Poor.

(7)

23,

Isis

seated

to

right

on

high-backed

throne,

crowned

with disk

and

horns

and

wearing

a

long

chiton

: she nurses

an infant

Harpokrates

crowned

with

skhent,

raising

his

right

hand and

holding

in

his left a lotus-flower

(?)

:

in front

I

H

(or

HI).

Oval.

16 x 12

mrm.

Rough.

(8)

24.

Isis seated

nursing

Horus

as

on

23,

but

Horus

holds

nothing

in his left

hand.

Oval.

18 x

12

mrm.

Fair.

(1)

25. Bust of Horus, body facing, head to right, crowned with disk, and wearing deep

collar:

side-lock

shown.

Oval.

15 x

11

mm.

Fair.

(3)

26. Bust

of

Horus, body

facing,

head

to

right,

wearing deep

collar

: side-lock

shown.

Oval.

10

x

7

mm.

Moderate.

(4)

27.

Bust

of

Horus, body facing,

head to

right,

wearing deep

collar,

side

lock

shown:

in

front,

serpent.

Oval.

15

x

11

mm.

Coarse.

(1)

28.

Bust

of Horus as

on

27,

with

serpent

in front.

Oval.

12

x

9 mm.

Fairly

good.

(1)

29.

Bust

of

Horus,

hawk-headed,

body facing,

head

to

right,

crowned with

skhent

and

wearing deep collar.

Oval.

14 x 10

mm.

Fair.

(9)

30.

Bust of

Horus,

serpent-headed,

body facing,

head to

right, wearing deep

collar.

Oval. 12

x

9

mm.

Moderate.

(15)

31.

Horus

seated

to

right

on

ground,

with

knees

drawn

up,

crowned

with

skhent,

holding

out

serpent

in

his

right

hand.

Oval.

12

x

9 mm.

Rough.

(28)

32.

Horus

seated

with

serpent

as on

31.

Oval.

10

x

6 mm.

Poor.

(8)

33.

Horus

standing facing,

head

to

right,

nude,

holding up

a

serpent

in

each hand.

Oval.

12 x 9 mm.

Fair.

(13)

34.

Horus

standing

with

serpents

as on

33.

Oval.

14

x 10 mm.

Rough.

(5)

35.

Horus seated

to left on

throne,

wearing

long

robe : behind

him,

gazelle

to

right

(upper

part

only

shown):

before

him,

baboon seated

on

its haunches to

right:

above

this,

ibis

(?)

to

right

: over

his

head,

an indefinite

object:

he holds

out

a

snake

(or

scorpion)

with

both

hands.

Oval.

15 x 13 mm.

Poor.

(10)

36.

Horus

seated

to

left,

nude,

with knees drawn

up,

on basket

:

facing

him,

winged

griffin

seated

to

right,

with left

front

paw

raised

:

above

its

head,

uraens

erect

to

right

:

between

this

and head

of

Hornus,

scarab :

above

this,

scorpion

to

right.

Oval.

16

x 11

mm.

Fair.

(6)

37.

Horus

seated

to

right,

nude,

with knees

drawn

up,

disk

on head

:

facing

him,

hawk

standing

to left:

over

it,

disk and uraeus

(?)

to

left.

Oval.

17

x 13 mm.

Coarse.

(1)

38.

Bust

of

Harpokrates

to

right,

crowned

with

skhent,

finger

to

lips.

Oval.

8 x 5 mm.

Poor.

(6)



5/15

CLAY-SEALINGS

FROM THE

FAYUM.

35

39.

Harpokrates

standing

to

left,

nude,

wiLh

right

hand to

lips,

and

cornucopiae

on

left

arm.

Oval.

12

x

8 mm. Fair.

(13)

40.

Harpokrates

(?)

standing

to

left,

nude,

with

right

hand

raised,

left

resting

on

sceptre:

in

front,

altar.

Oval.

11

x 8

mm. Fair.

(1)

41.

Harpokrates

seated

to

left,

on

lotus-flower,

nude,

disk on

head,

with

right

hand to

lips,

holding

club

in

left.

Oval.

13 x

10

mm.

Poor.

(2)

42.

Harpokrates

seated

on horse

advancing

to

right,

nude,

crowned

with

skhent

(?),

head

turned

back,

hand

to

lips.

Oval.

12

x 9 mm.

Rude.

(12)

43.

Harpokrates

seated

to

right,

apparently

nude

and crowned with

modius,

left

hand

to

lips,

right holding scourge

over

shoulder,

on ram

walking

to

right.

Oval.

16 x 11

mm.

Fair.

(1)

44.

Harpokrates

seated to

left,

nude,

with

right

hand to

mouth,

on back of

androsphinx

couched

to

right.

Circular.

12

mm.

Poor.

(1)

45.

Bust

of

Hershef,

ram-headed,

facing,

showing

horns on each

side,

wearing

hem-hem

crown.

Oval.

15

x

11

mm.

Rough.

(2)

46.

Bust of Zeus

Ammon to

right,

draped,

crowned with disk.

Oval.

15

x 12

mm.

Fair.

(1)

47.

Bust

of

Zeus

Ammon to

right,

draped,

crowned

with

disk.

Rectangular.

12

x 10

mm.

Fair.

(3)

48. Head of Zeus Ammon to right, crowned with disk : below, ram standing to right

crowned with

disk

and

horns.

Oval. 17

x

13

mm.

Rough.

(1)

49.

Anubis,

jackal-headed,

standing

facing,

head to

left, nude,

holding

palm-branch

(?)

in

right

hand,

in left

caduceus:

chlamys

thrown

over

left

arm.

Oval.

14

x 10 mm.

Fair.

(12)

50.

Hermanubis

standing

facing,

head to

left, nude,

with

legs

crossed,

and left

elbow

resting

on

pillar

:

in

right

hand

palm-branch,

in

left

caduceus

(?)

Oval.

15

x 12

ramm.

Fair.

(1)

51. Bust

of

Osiris,

facing,

wearing

atef

(?) crown,

scourge

over

each

shoulder.

Oval.

14 x 12

mm.

Rude.

(5)

B.-Greek

Deities and

Mythical Figures.

52.

Bust

of

Athene to

right,

wearing

helmet :

in

front,

spear

upright.

Oval.

12

x

10 mm.

Fair.

(19)

53.

Athene

advancing

to

right

wearing

long chiton,

left

hand

raised,

with

right

seizing

serpent

erect

in

front.

Oval.

12 x 9 mm.

Poor.

(41)

54. Bust

of

Apollo

to

right,

wearing

taenia,

chlamys

over

shoulders

(of

archaistic

style).

Oval.

10 x

9

mm. Fair.

(3)

55.

Bust of

Helios to

right,

wearing

radiate

crown,

chlamys

over

shoulders.

Oval. 13

x

9

mm. Fair.

(8)

56.

Head of

Herakles to

right,

bearded,

wearing

taenia.

Oval.

17

x

15 mm.

Coarse.

(3)

57. Head of

Herakles

to

right,

bearded.

Oval. 15

x

11

mm.

Fair.

(2)

D2



6/15


7/15

CLAY-SEALINGS FROM THE

FAYUM.

37

78.

Stamp

divided into two

compartments

vertically

:

in

left

one,

uraeus

serpent

erect

to

right:

in

right,

]3q

dotwnwards:

surrounded

by

line-border

(?

'Opao-rok0ts).

Rectangular.

30

x 25 mm.

Rough.

(42)

79. Uraeus serpent with head of Sarapis, erect to left, crowned with modius, confronted

by

uraeus with head

of

Isis,

erect

to

right,

crowned

with

disk

and

horns

:

both

on

basket-base.

Oval.

16 x 12

mm. Moderate.

(3)

80.

Serpent

with human

head

erect to

right,

crowned

with

plumes,

confronted

by

hawk

standing

to

left.

Oval.

16

x

13

mm.

Rude.

(3)

81.

Agathodaemon

serpent

with

human head

erect

to

right,

crowned with modius

(?),

holding

in

its

coils stalks of corn.

Oval. 16 x 11

mm.

Fair.

(3)

D.

-Miscellaneous

Scenes.

82.

Figure

of a man with

right

hand

raised,

in

chariot

drawn

by

two horses

advancing

to

left.

Circular.

12

mm.

Poor.

(1)

83.

Figure riding

to

right,

with

right

hand

raised,

apparently

on a bull with its tail

in

the

air

:

before

this a

male

figure

reclining

to

left,

with

right

hand

outstretched,

and

cornucopiae

(?)

on

left arm

(perhaps

Nilus).

Oval.

16 x 10

mm.

Moderate.

(4)

84.

Bearded

figure

standing

to

left,

wearing

short

chiton

and

extending

hand

to

smaller

figure

in

front

standing

to

right

with hand

raised

:

on the

left,

an indefinite

object:

on the right, a palm-tree and a hawk (?) standing to left: below, a line, beneath

which two

figures

looking

towards one another with

hands

raised

over an

altar

(?)

and to

right

of

these

three

figures facing

with both

arms raised.

Oval. 18

x

15

mm. Rude.

(2)

85.

Three

figures standing

facing,

in

long

robes.

Circular.

12

imm.

Moderate.

(2)

86.

Three

figures standing facing,

in

long

robes:

the

centre

one

with both

arms

raised,

the outer ones

with

outer

arm

raised

in

each case.

Circular.

13

mm. Rude.

(1)

87.

Nike

flying

to

right,

in

long

chiton,

holding

out wreath over

figure

lying

on

ground.

Oval. 15 x 10

mm.

Fair.

(5)

88. In centre, tree, on

right

of which a man

(?)

standing

to

right,

with altar in front: on

left,

an animal

standing

to

right

with

head

turned back.

Oval.

13

x

10 mm. Poor.

(1)

89.

Lion

springing

to

right

on

gazelle

couched

to

right

with head turned

back.

Oval.

16 x

12

mm.

Fair.

(6)

90.

Modius filled with

corn

:

serpent

issuing

to

right:

below,

indefinite

object.

Oval.

17

x 11

mm.

Moderate.

(2)

E.-Busts

:

possibly

Portraits.

91.

Female

bust

to right, hair bound with taenia (possibly Cleopatra VII).

Oval. 21

x

16

mm. Moderate.

(1)

92.

Bust to

right,

with

Egyptian royal

headdress

: in

front,

AflO

Oval. 15

x

1

mrm.

Fair.

(1)

93.

Bust to

right,

with

Egyptian

royal

headdress:

beneath,

crocodile

to

right.

Oval.

14x

10

mrm.

Fair.

(1)



8/15


9/15


10/15

40 J.

G.

MILNE

remains

of

large

figures

of

him

are

extant,

minor

representations

in bronze

or

terracotta

are

proportionately

rare;

and almost

all conform

to one

or

two

fixed

types,

one

seated,

the

other

standing.

It would

perhaps

be

fair

to

describe

Sarapis

as a

god

who was

worshipped

in

temples.

Isis is much more

frequently

mentioned than

Sarapis,

though commonly

with the

addition

of

one of

her

myriad

names,

marking

her as

a

local

form of

the

goddess

which

had

possibly

been

quite

distinct

in

origin;

and

her

worship

was

usually

joined

and

subordinated to

that of

some

male

god.

Her

temples,

or

rather

shrines,

were

apparently

of small

official

account:

in

the

ordinances

of

Ptolemy

Euergetes

II

they

are

classed with

animal

shrines,

and such

evidence

as

is

given

by

the

papyri concerning

them

goes

to show that

they

were

not

endowed,

but

depended

for

their

support

on

the

offerings

of

the

pious

and

the

begging of the priests. The essential importance of the Isis worship seems

to

have

been

in

the

fact

that it

was a link

with an

earlier

period

of

Egyptian

religion:

she

was

a

native

goddess,

who

was

allowed

to

remain

in

the

official

triad;

and,

though

crowded

out of

the first

place

in

the

temples,

was

kept

in

evidence

by

the

priests.

She

had

become

the

goddess

of the

wayside.

The

popular

god,

however,

was

Horus,

especially

in

the form

of

Harpokrates:

terracotta

statuettes

of

him,

in

a

multitude

of

types,

abound

at

every

Graeco-

Roman

site

in

Egypt,

though

there are

few

references

to

his

worship

in the

written

records,

and

he

was

rarely

the

principal deity

to

whom

a

temple

was

dedicated.

He

was

essentially

the

god

of

the house.

The

types

of

Sarapis

on

the

sealings

do

not call for

much remark:

as

noted

above,

they

generally

follow

regular types.

There was

a

tendency

in

the

Roman

period

to

develop

a

pantheistic

form,

beginning

with

the fusion

of

Zeus

and

Helios

with

Sarapis,

and

extending

later

to

the

inclusion

of Ammon

and

14

17

22

Poseidon: the head

of

Helios

Sarapis

(7)

is

an

instance

of this in

the

earlier

stages,

with which

may

be

compared

the Helios

Ammon

of

the

Oxyrhynchus

lists.

As has

been

remarked

previously,

the

representation

of

a

bust

of

Sarapis

flanked

by

figures

of the Dioscuri

(13)

is

interesting,

on

account

of

its



11/15

CLAY-SEALINGS

FROM

THE FAYUM.

41

correspondence

with

the

reverse-type

of

a coin

of

Antoninus Pius,

a

name

taking

on

the

seal

the

place

of the

date on

the

coin;

and

the

group

of

Sarapis

crowned

by

Isis

(14)

is

also traceable

to a

coin-type.

The association

of

the

bust of

Sarapis

with an

eagle,

a ram, or a griffin can likewise be paralleled on

coins;

but

the

more

complex

groups,

especially

those

in which

the

lion

occurs

(21

and

22),

are

exceptional,

and

are

probably

due

to

Gnostic

influence.

Some

Gnostic

connexions

are also traceable

in the

Horus-types,

especially

on Nos.

35

and

36,

where

the

association

with

the

gazelle

in one case

and

the

scorpion

in

the

other

are

particularly

noticeable.

In

nearly

all

examples

a

serpent

appears,

either

in the

field

or

held

by

Horus,

which

may

also

be

23

35

(and

9)

36

put

down

as

a

Gnostic

symbol.

The

types

which

are

marked

by

the

position

of

the

hand of the

deity against

his

lips

as

representing

Harpokrates

are

more

distinctively

Graeco-Egyptian,

both

in

style

and

attributes,

and can

generally

be

paralleled

from Alexandrian

coins,

which

show

nothing

corresponding

to

39

41

45

the

Horus-types.

One

or two

of the

forms

of

Harpokrates

may

be

assign-

able

to

special

localities-the

Harpokrates

on the lotus

(41)

is taken

to

represent



12/15

42

J.

G.

MILNE

Harpokrates

of

Taua,

and the

Harpokrates

on

the

androsphinx

Harpokrates

of

Buto,

while

the

figure

on

the

ram

carrying

a

scourge may

be

Harpokrates

of

Mendes; but,

as these

types

were

used

on the Alexandrian

coinage, they

would be disseminated

through Egypt,

and cannot be taken as marking

definitely

a

connexion between

the

sealings

and

the

special

centres

of

the

worship

of

Harpokrates.

The

type

of

Harpokrates

on

the

lotus

reappears

on

the

Oxyrhynchus

signets.

The bust

of

Hershef

(45)

is of

a more

distinctly

local

character,

and

is

not,

so

far

as

known

at

present,

a

coin-type:

in

this

case there is

some

probability

that the

signet

from which the

impression

was

taken

belonged

to an inhabitant

of

Herakleopolis

Magna,

the seat

of this

deity.

The

only

remaining

examples

amongst

those

classed

as

of

Graeco-

Egyptian and Egyptian deities which offer points of interest are those of

Anubis

and

Hermanubis

(49

and

50),

which

stand in

much

the same relation

as

those

of

Horus

and

Harpokrates:

the

jackal-headed

Anubis

is the

more

48

49

Egyptian

form,

and

possibly

is

influenced

by

Gnostic

ideas,

while Herm-

anubis

appears

in a

Greek

type

closely

related

to

that

of Hermes and similar

to

that

of

the

Alexandrian

coins.

There

are

comparatively

few

among

these

sealings

which can be

called

distinctly

Greek:

of

those

which

have been

placed

under this

head,

the

two

types of Athene (52 and 53) are very probablyassignable to the influence of

her

worship

at

Oxyrhynchus,

where

she was

identified

with the

local

goddess

Thoeris:

this

is the

more

likely

as

these

types

are

very

closely

related to

two which

commonly appear

on a

class

of leaden

pieces

of which

large

num-

bers have

been found

at

Oxyrhynchus,

and which

almost

certainly

represent

a local

token-currency.

The

Tyche types

(59

and

60)

are

probably

taken

from

Alexandrian

coins;

and

the

types

of

Herakles,

while

not

directly

traceable to

coins

may perhaps

have

been

suggested

by

the

series

of

represen-

tations of the

labours of

Herakles issued from

the Alexandrian

mint

under

Antoninus Pius, unless they are due to the equation of Herakles with

Hershef

at

Herakleopolis

Magna.

It

may

be

noted

that

Athene,

Tyche,

and

Herakles,

as

well as

Apollo,

are all to be found

among

the

Oxyrhynchus

signets.

The

most

definitely

Hellenic

of all the

sealings

is

really

the

group

of

Leda

with the

swan

(61):

which

was,

for

some

reason,

a

very

popular

subject

in

Egyptian

art

down

to

Coptic

times.



13/15

LAY-SEALINGS

FROM THE

FAYUM. 43

The

class of

animal-forms does

not

provide

much

of

interest.

The

hawk-

headed

crocodile

of

No. 64

is

probably

Soknopaios,

the local form

of

the

crocodile

god

Sebek

worshipped

at

Soknopaiou

Nesos

(Dim&h)

in

the

Fayum,

61

58

as

he

seems

to

have

been

represented

in

this

shape.

The

comparative

common-

ness of

serpent-types-though

both

the

human-headed

serpent,

the

8pa/ovrr6-

/op'bov of Oxyrhynchus,and the uraeus with disk or royal crownare frequently

79

67

found

on Alexandrian

coins-may

be

due

to

some

extent

to

Gnosticism:

in

one

case

at

any

rate

(72)

a Gnostic influence

is

marked

by

the addition

of

a

key.

It

is

possible

that

No.

78

is intended

as a

rebus-the

serpent

with



14/15

44 J. G. MILNE

the

letters

Opa- representing

the

name,

common

in

the

Fayum

during

the

Graeco-Roman

period,

of

'Opo-evo0O4tv.

In

class

D

there are

some

puzzling groups,

which

need

further

explana-

tion. No 82-a

figure

of a man in a

biga-is

probably

borrowed from the

coin-type

representing

an

emperor

which

was

among

the

commonest

on

Alex-

andrian

large

bronze

of

the

second

century.

The

attitude

of

the

reclining

82

84

figure

on No.

83

suggests

that

it

is

Nilus-and in this case

the

figure

riding

towards

him on a bull

may

be the

genius

of

the

inundation. The worn

con-

dition

of the

examples

of

Nos.

85 and

86,

as

well as the

rough

work of

the

signets,

makes

it

impracticable

to

say

what

was

intended

by

the

groups

of

three

figures;

and the

same

difficulties

prevent

the

interpretation

of

the

more

complicated

scenes

on

Nos. 84 and

88.

Some

of the busts classed under

E

may

be intended

for

portraits,

or

they

may

be

of

a

generic

nature,

as

were

presumably

the

'philosophers'

who

ap-

peared

on two

Oxyrhynchus signets.

But,

if

their

origin

may

be looked

for

on

coins,

the

female bust

on

No. 91

shows considerable

similarity

to

that of

Cleopatra

VII on her

copper

coins,

while

the

busts

with

Egyptian

royal

head-

dress of

Nos. 92

and

93

resemble the

types

of

Arsinoite

nome-coins

struck

under Hadrian-the possible connexion with which is strengthened in the

case

of No.

93

by

the

addition under

the

bust

of

a

crocodile,

also

a

type

of

the coins of the same nome in the same

reign.

Among

the

last

group,

the

only signet

calling

for

special

note

is No.

99,

which

is the most

distinctly

Gnostic of

all,

with

the

representation

of

a

key

flanked

by

two

mystic

words.

From

the

foregoing

remarks,

it will

be seen

that,

in a

large

proportion

of

instances,

the

sealings

show a

close

analogy

to

Alexandrian

coin-types;

the

most

noticeable

exceptions

being

in

the

cases

where Gnostic

influence

is

traceable, especially in the group of representations of Horus. And, so far as

it

is

possible

to

judge

of the

style

of

the

signets,

there is

a

certain distinction

of treatment which is

parallel

to

this division

of

the

types.

The

figures

drawn

from

Greek

mythology,

and also

those of

the Alexandrian triad-Sara-

pis,

Isis,

and

Harpokrates-are

unmistakeably

Greek

in

style:

pose

and

dress

are

alike derived

from

Greek

tradition;

and

the

designs

which

are not to be



15/15

CLAY

SEALINGS

FROM THE

FAYUM.

45

found on Alexandrian coins are executed in a manner so similar

to that of

the

coin-types

that the

seal-engravers

might

be

regarded

as

workmen

of the

same

school

as the

men

employed

in

the

mint

of Alexandria. On the

other

hand,

the influence of native

Egyptian

ideas in the execution of the

figures

of Horus

is

equally

clear

in

every

way:

the

difference

is

not

simply

due to

the

endeav-

our of the artist to

give

a

purely Egyptian

character to his

representation

of

the

god,

as

may

be

seen

if

the

treatment of the bust with

Egyptian

royal

headdress

(No.

92),

which,

notwithstanding

the

subject,

is

Greek in

effect,

is contrasted with that

of

any

of

the busts of Horus

(Nos.

25

to

28).

It

is

of

course

impossible

to

say

where

the.

seals were

made,

or

even

where

they

were

used. The

accumulation of

the

clay

impressions

at

Karanis

only

marks

the

spot

where

the

goods

were

unpacked:

they

may

have

been

packed and sealed anywhere in the Nile valley. And the types are, for the

most

part,

such

as can

hardly

be

definitely

localised: the

bust of

Hershef

(No.

45)

would

be most

likely

to be used

by

an

inhabitant

of

HIerakleopolis

Magna,

the

figure

of Athene

(Nos.

52 and

53)

by

one of

Oxyrhynchus,

that

of

Soknopaios

(No.

64)

by

one of

Soknopaiou

Nesos;

but

Sarapis

or

Horus,

Helios

or

Tyche,

a

sphinx

or a

serpent,

might

be

expected

equally

well

in

almost

any

district

of

Egypt.

The Nile-mud

of

the

sealings

limits

them

to

Egypt;

but

no closer definition

is

possible.

And the

signets

themselves

may

have

been

made

at

Alexandria,

or

by

local

workmen

in

the

country

towns;

but,

except

in

one

or

two

instances,

there

is

nothing

in

style

or

subject

to

suggest

any

likelihood that they were imported into

Egypt.

It is

fairly

safe to

say

that

they

represent

the

kind of

work

executed for

ordinary

use

in

Egypt

about the

middle

of

the

second

century

A.D.

J.

G.

MILNE.

NOTE.-The

illustrations

are derived

from

photographs,

which

have

been

slightly

enlarged

and

touched

up

for

purposes

of

reproduction

by

Mr. F. Anderson after examination of the original sealings. I have deposited

a

set

of

negatives,

showing examples

of all

the

types

described,

with

the

Hellenic

Society.

Clay-Sealings From the Fayum

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Transcript of Clay-Sealings From the Fayum