This is a compilation of the publications and online resources I mentioned or referred to in Sunday’s lecture about Ancient Magic Gems.
Fundamental corpora and studies based on a large number of gems
- Campbell Bonner (1950): Studies in magical amulets, chiefly Graeco-Egyptian
=> Introduces almost 400 gems, including an extensive analysis
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015055902202&seq=5 - Armand Delatte, Philippe Derchain (1964): Les Intailles magiques gréco-égyptiennes
=>Illustrations, photographs, and descrirptions of 540 gems, predominantly from the Cabinet des médailles of the National Library of France in Paris, including analyses and discussions - Simone Michel (2001): Die Magischen Gemmen im Britischen Museum
=> Illustrations and descriptions of 649 ancient and post-antique magic gems in the British Museum with summaries of the deities and brief discussions of some of the inscriptions, including plates of a larger number of the gems, but no analyses - Kirsten Dzwiza (2019): Magical Signs: An extraordinary phenomenon or just business as usual? – Analysing decoration patterns of magical gems
=> Analyses of 1.075 magical gems
https://www.antikemagie.com/dzwiza-magic-signs-gems-2019/
Other relevant papers
- Morton Smith, Relations between Magical Papyri and Magical Gems (1979), 129–136.
- Paolo Vitellozzi, Relations Between Magical Texts and Magical Gems (2018), 181-253.
Open Access: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110604337-008/html - Carla Sfameni, Magic in late antiquity: The evidence of magical gems (2010), 435-473.
Early works
- Ioannis Macarii Canonici Ariensis (Jean l’Heureux), Abraxas, seu Apistopistus; quae est antiquaria de gemmis Basilidianis disquisitio. Accedit Abraxas Proteus, seu multiformis gemmae Basilidianae portentosa varietas (Antuerpiae, 1657).
=> Relevant especially because of the drawings of gems in terms of researching potential forgeries
https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010718969/
Online Resources
The Campbell Bonner Magical Gems Database
=> Comprises “around 5600 pieces”, but this number includes double entries, a larger number of modern pieces, and forgeries
=> Despite being developed up until 2020, the database is only vailable via http
http://cbd.mfab.hu/
“A brief history of engraved Classical gems” with a number of photographs of non-magical gems and their prices is offered on the website of the auction house Christies:
https://www.christies.com/en/stories/ancient-engraved-gems-collecting-guide-80af80d1d070411d83be8e8c2620ef39
The Getty Collection
https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/search
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?
About individual gems
Gem inscribed with magic signs and “archangeloi”
Enigmatic Magic Gem Inscribed with Secret Names and Magic Signs
“Resurrection gems”(?)
cbd.mfab.hu/cbd/1958
cbd.mfab.hu/cbd/1112
The “Gnostic-Ptolemaic 1st century BC” forgery
https://bid.auctionzero.co.uk/online-auctions/etrusca-auctions-ltd/important-antique-intaglio-ring-gnostic-ptolemaic-2462972
https://www.bidsquare.com/online-auctions/clarke/jewelry-roman-gnostic-ptolemaic-carved-intaglio-1507848