Bracelet with Agathodaimon, Isis-Tyche, Aphrodite, and Thermouthis

Unknown

1st century B.C.–A.D. 1st century · Gold · Egyptian Art

Powerful talismans of fertility and good destiny are woven into this rich golden composition. The bodies of two snakes intertwine to form a Herakles knot, the centerpiece of this bracelet. The snake on the left represents Agathodaimon, and the cobra on the right Thermouthis, two agrarian/fertility deities associated with Serapis and Isis, respectively. On the platform between them stand two goddesses, Isis-Tyche (or Isis-Fortuna), a deity closely associated with Alexandria, and the nude Aphrodite.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1st century B.C.–A.D. 1st century

Medium

Gold

Department

Egyptian Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1923