Helios, Zodiac Cycle Palm Stone（African Bloodstone） 6cm/4.5cm

Two concentric circles, the outer one divided into twelve sections containing the twelve signs of the zodiac, beginning at the top right (in turn: Capricorn, Pisces, Aquarius, Aries, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Libra, Virgo, Leo, Cancer, Gemini, Taurus); the inner one containing a representation of Helios and the quadriga. The right hand of Helios is raised forward, left arm wrapped in a chlamys and holding a whip, rays around the head.

Helios is prominently depicted as the cosmic ruler (Kosmokrator), a role also commonly associated with Serapis. Serapis’ bust was frequently featured in zodiacal imagery, and both deities were invoked interchangeably in magical papyri. The clockwise arrangement of the zodiacal band appears to hold no symbolic significance. The formal separation of individual zodiac signs through decorative ridges - a stylistic innovation first documented in the Roman Imperial period and standardized through Alexandrine zodiac coinage under Antoninus Pius (144/5 CE) - shows particular popularity in the Eastern Roman provinces. This artistic convention, influenced by numismatic traditions, strongly influenced gemstone intaglio designs.

-big size:4x6 cm

 weigh: 60-80 g

-small size:4.5x3 cm

 weigh: 30-35 g