Cynocephalus the Copycat

An amulet found in Cyprus, in 2011, once comforted an owner who believed in its powers of protection. The artifact is around 1,500 years old and 1.4 inches by 1.6 inches (34.9mm by 41.2mm). On one side is a palindrome written in Greek. This is where a line of letters can be read the same way backward and forwards.

Several Egyptian figures are on the other side. A mummy on a boat is most likely the god Osiris. The god of silence, Harpocrates, sits on a chair. As expected, his right hand is near his lips showing the eternal gesture of seeking quiet. In front of him is the dog-headed Cynocephalus. This is a known scene in Egyptian art. However, things do not quite follow convention. Usually, Cynocephalus’s paws would be raised in worship of Harpocrates, but on the amulet, he mimics the god’s hand sign for silence. Both bear lines resembling bandages as if they, too, are mummies. This is unheard of for Harpocrates who should also have been seated on a lotus, not a stool. Beyond guessing that the creator did not have a good grasp on Egyptian mythology, it remains a puzzling scene.



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