.^04 a E 
low; Fig. I, An Egyptian antique, in green jafper; the 
device an eye, with a fquare faffened to tlie under eye¬ 
lid, and a (mall triangle; the whole inclofed in a ring 
of a ferpent, the emblem of eternity, 2, An hierogly¬ 
phic infeription, in burnt cornelian, very deeply cut 
with the engraver, in the fame manner as on the obeliflts 
and other monuments of Egyptian antiquity, which fee 
under the article Ec vol. vi. p. 348, &c. 3. An 
Egyptian pried, in cornelian, fitting upon a throne of a 
mitred fpbynx, giving, his benediction with his right 
hand, and holding in hjs left a feeptre in the form of a 
javelin. Before him (lands a nilometer, and oyer his 
]iead a winged globe. Mr. Rafpe, the ingenious editor 
of Mr. Taflie’s “ Deferiptive Book, of Gems,” 2 vols. 
4to. obferves on this gem, “ that figures of bearded men 
are not to be found among any of the Egyptian works 
of remote antiquity; for that the Egyptians always 
fiiavcd.” He therefore hazards a conjecture, “whether 
this figure might not be the image of Phtha, the only 
God of the primitive Egyptians ; and whole wifdom and 
benevolence were reprefented by the fphynx and the 
ferpent Cuuphis; and which the Gndftics afterwards re¬ 
prefented by the fymbol of the abraxas, or elfe by the 
figure of a bearded old man crowned, whom they called 
God the Father, creator of the univerfe, Thefe bearded figures 
are frequently found upon the monuments of Perfepolis, 
and upon the Perfepolitan cylinders, with fymbols and 
hieroglyphics undoubtedly Egyptian; fo that the mo¬ 
numents reprefenting the cii(lotus of Egypt and ancient 
Perfia, might probably belong to Egypt, while under 
the dominion of the Perfians, or even to the Perfians 
after the conquefis of Cambyfes.” 
rig. 4. A pried ot Ifis, in green jafper, fighting with 
a griffin; a very curious Egyptian antique. 5. A winged 
fphynx, in cornelian, fcratching its ear with the left 
foot. 6. A lion, confecrated to Cybele, with a goofe 
(landing on his back, in jafper; one of the moll antique 
gems at prefent known, and a true emblem of the rude 
or primitive (late of engraving on precious ftones. 7. A 
Perfian lady, in yellow cornelian, fitting in the manner 
of the people of the call upon a fopha, having a child 
upon her knee playing with a crown. 8. An Indian 
king and queen, with their guards or attendants, of rude 
antique workmanfliip, cut in lapis lazulj. They are 
(eated on a kind of throne, drelfed in the llyle and man¬ 
ner of the ancient Indian bas-reliefs found near Bombay, 
in the grottos of Salfette, and the idand of Elephanta, 
as well as in feveral other parts of India, either in grot¬ 
tos, choultries, or ancient pagodas, built and decorated 
with a profufion of finiilar chara6ters, which the reader 
will fee by turning to tlie two engravings of ancient In¬ 
dian columns, p. 66-67, in our fecond volume, under 
■the article Architecture. 9. A Perfian cylinder of 
loadftone, with an inlcription; and in the other com¬ 
partment a magician with a beard, a. tiara, and long 
plaited robe, having his two hands railed on high, hold¬ 
ing a feeptre terminating in a lotus; oppofite to him 
(lands a foldicr, as if in deep confultation. There are 
likewife two ('mail figures in tunics, turned towards the 
Ibldier, and occupying the interval which feparates 
tliem.. Between the two lines of the infeription are four 
curious iieads. The charatlers are Perfepolitan; and 
are found in numerous long inferiptions among the ruins 
of Cliulminar in Perlia, w hich antiquarians coufider as 
tlie I'cIlo of the once magnificent Perfepolis, or Sufa, 
the fumptuous relidence of the Perfian kings. There 
has been fpme controverfy between philologifts con¬ 
cerning the alphabet to which thefe charablers ought to 
be affigned ; and from a fuppofition tiiat it contains only 
live different figures, an analogy has been imagined to 
fublift between thefe and certain IrKh charadters called 
ogham, which only conlifi of unity repeated to the fifth 
tune, and whole value changes according to the manner 
in which it is placed relatively to an imaginary line.— 
See Vallaiuey’s Irifii Grammar, 4to. On a clofe exa- 
M. 
mination, hov/sver, it will be found that tliey perfectly 
referable the Chinefe charadter, which is not a charadler 
of articulate founds, but of ideas ; and that fome of tliefc 
very charadders are to be found in the Chinefe didlion- 
ary, ranged by roots or elementary figures, called 
And with refpedl to thefe cylinders or amulets, whether 
they were made in Perfia as commonly fuppol'ed, or in 
Egypt for the Perfians after they had conquered that 
country', they will neverthelefs tend to prove, i(l. the 
very great antiquity of the Chinefe charadler; 2d. that 
it has been formerly known and cultivated on this fide 
of the Ganges : 3d. that the Perfians, or their magi, 
ufed it before they adopted the Plicenician, Chaldean, 
Syrian, Armenian, or Arabidn, charadlers: and, 4thly. 
that even the Egyptians when conquered by the Perfians, 
were converfant with thefe amulets, and had fome idea 
of the charadters. The partizans, therefore, of that 
fingular analogy which pretends to explain Egyptian 
hieroglyphics by tlie old Chinefe charadders, may derive 
fome advantage from tliis difeovery. They will no 
longer be under the necefiity offending Egyptian colo¬ 
nies tr^ Perfepolis, to the Indies, or to China, in this 
vii'ionary enquiry, which appears upon the whole little 
lefs than chimerical. 
Fig. 10. A Parthian king on horfeback, very elegantly*’ 
cut in an amethyfi, with an infeription; brought from 
Balfora. ii. A curious Perfian cylinder of black jafper, 
wich allegorical figures in front. 12. A continuation 
of the figures drawn out from the fame cylinder, which 
was fuppofed to be a protedling charm againll danger 
and difeafe. 13. An Egyptian cylinder of chalcedony 
or white agate, with a good engraving of the fymbolical 
god Apis, which is the true Egyptian charadler, and 
plainly demonftrates that thefe amulets were manufadlur- 
ed as well inEgy’pt as in Perfia.—AU the gems reprefent¬ 
ed in this engraving are of the highefl antiquity. 
Plate II. contains the following very curious antiques, 
chiefly infeals, rings, bracelets, &c. Fig. 14. Anonyx, 
with the budof Horus or Harpocrates pried of the Egyp¬ 
tian Ofiris, as a cJiild, making the fignal for (ilence. He 
has a flower of the lotus on his forehead, and upon his 
bread a globe, from whence two ferpents ifl'ue. The 
head is (liaved, except a finall trefs of hair behind the 
right ear, agreeable to Macrobius, i. 21. who fays, ‘,‘The 
Pigyptians reprefented the Sun with the head (haved, 
except on the right fide, where the hair was left.” He 
is alfo feen with a (imilar trefs of hair on the knee of the 
figures of Ifs, brought from the mummy-pits; which 
circumdance correfponds with the obfervations of the 
learned Bryant, who has demondrated Horus or Orns to 
be an Egyptian title of the fun, from our, or iir, light 
and fire; wlience or U^sve, as a pried or deity. 
This gem, confidering its great antiquity, and as being 
of Egyptian workmanlhip, has great merit in the attitude 
and force of expreilion. 15. A winged lion couchant, 
cut in a yellow cornelian, with an infeription. It is a. 
feal of the ancient Perfians. 16. A cupid, in cornelian, 
with the right hand fecured in a bandage, and a wreath 
of flotvers round his neck ; a fignet of the Greeks. 17. A 
cornelian, with the uncovered head of a fatyr or faun, 
the excellent produdlion of fome unknown Greek artid. 
18. A lulphur, with the head of lo in front, charadter- 
ifed by the tips of her horns jud emerging out of her 
beautiful hair, which exprelTes the moment of her tranf- 
formation into an heifer. According to Ovid, (Itj became 
a goddefs by the name of Ifis ; and accordingly we here 
find the necklace of Ifis .as a furt'Uer dcfig;vation of her 
charadler. 19. A cornelian, with a Perfian device, re¬ 
prefenting a foldier in the acl of killing a winged lion : 
very ancient. 20. A Perfian fignet, cut in cornelian, 
with an infeription extremely well executed. .Of this 
gem general Campbell gives th.e following account; 
It was the feal of queen Fatima, of the race of Ma¬ 
homed el Miidany. She w'as daughter of the fultan 
Khan Mahomed Goffeiii Kelany, of the race of the kings 
