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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MAY, 1896.
graving and for setting the season during which the guardian infuences of the gem were at their highest. In Europe, till the end of the Middle Ages, the belief prevailed that certain gems have certain influences, and certain shapes have certain influences. The influences vary at different times. Choose the time and the subject that suits the gem and the influence of the whole will be so much the greater. "In the Middle Ages," says, King, "all engraved goms were worn as amulets. Gnostic gems were, mainly periapta, that is, to be worn round the neck to keep off evil. The early Christians, while taking exception to certain designs, accepted the mystic value of engraved ships." In the second century A. D. Clemens of Alexandria says: "Christians should not wear any ring but the signet, and on the signet no engraving but a pigeon, a fish, a ship, lyre, an anchor and a fisher. The signet should not have the image of an idol which Christians are forbidden even to look at, nor & sword, nor a bow Christians being the followers of peace, nor drinking goblets Christians being sober, nor naked women." In Jaspers and other precious stones, certain natural lines were thought unlucky and called grammata or writing.7 King notes in the Devonshire collection of gems, an Etruscan stone set in a ring and carved with elegant and intricate filagree patterns. Of lucky shapes into which gems were cut are the helmet, of which in modern crowns is the jewelled representative, and is stilla guardian shape, the wheel juyxor turbo which spun and unspun magical spells, 10 and the tongue. The belief in the influence of stars apon men and also the common attribute of light-housing, that is, the sameness of spirit in stars and in gems, made stars a favourite subject for gem engraving. The guardian star of the owner was engraved on his ring, as Capricornus is shewn in the corner of a cameo of Augustus.11 The idea of engraving the owner's special constellation was developed into zodiac stones with all the signs of the zodiac graven on them, because each sign had a special guardian influence over a part of the body 12 Again, the kindly influences of a constellation were secured by carving one or two of its leading stars.13 The sun and the astrolabe, the tool with the star spirit, were also forms of special virtue.14 As part of the general raising of the guardian form through animals to man, 16 under the Gnostics the constellations ceased to be shewn by animals and came to be figured as winged human beings holding stars. Till the close of the Middle Ages luck lived in the fol. lowing animal figures, many of which were supposed to trace back their fame to Chael, an ancient Hebrew doctor of the wilderness time (B. C. 1300), as mentioned by Camillo (A. D. 1503), - the ass, bat, boar, bull, camel, dragon, falcon, frog, griffin, hoopoe, lion, raven, swallow and vulture.16 Each of these shapes was endowed with a special virtue. In early times (B. C. 2000-500) the armoured and fight-loving scarabeus beetle, in Egypt, Phoenicia, and Etruria, was a more favourite guardian than any who has succeeded him.17 Chneph the Egyptian Good Daemon
* Camillo Leonardo (1603) in King's Antique Gems, p. 435. Compare the stone, the setting and the graving. - a triple source of power in Marbodus (1070), King's Antique Goms, p. 417. • King's Antique Gems, p. 181.
* Op. cit. p. 849. 6 Op. cit. p. 277.
+ Fraser's Magazine, October 1856, p. 480. • King's Antique Gems, p. 486.
9 Op. cit. p. 307. 30 Op. cit. p. 456. Compare Horace to Canidin : -"Turn back your wheel and free from your spell."
11 King's Antique Gems, p. 456. According to Grotius (A.D. 1540) among the Romans, plain iron hoops traced with cabalistic lines worked wonderful cures, The physician Alexander of 'ralles (A. D. 200) had a hoop that was sovran in cases of blue devils. Fraser's Magazine, May 1856, p. 584.
11 King's Antique Gems, p. 333.
13 Each sign of the zodiac had power over a special part of the body: - The Ram over the Head ; the Bull over the Nock; the Twins over the shoulders, the Crab over the Breast; the Lion over the Shoulder-blades; the Virgin over the Flanks; Libra over the Haunches; the Scorpion over the Groin ; Centaur over the Thighs ; Capricoruus over the Knee, Aquarius over the Leg; the Fishes over the Feet (King's Antique Gems, P. 180)."
1 King's Antique Gems, pp. 333-5. King (Op. cit. p. 335) quotes the saying of Greek astrology that three stars n each constellation, cut upon gems and known as the Decani or Lookers, charm away disease and accident.
16 Camillo (1508) in King's Antique Goms, pp. 442-4.
16 Compare King's Antique Geme, p. 169:-"Agreeably to the analogy o other branches of pictorial art tho earliest Greek or Grieco-Italian gem engravers began with representations of beasta."
17 King's Antique Gems, pp. 412, 444, 448; Compare Dalyell (Darker Superstitions of Scotland, p. 145.) A ship sculptured on a stone prevented shipwreck, a standard cut ensured victory, the figure of a grey honnd cured lunacy and scared fiends, a hare guarded against ill.will.
