Curiosity, Abraxas, Devil – Black Magic – Engraved Bone – Witchcraft Object – Occultism

Second half of the 19th century France Private collection, Auvergne - Haute-Loire Fragment of a scapula finely engraved with an anthropomorphic figure with a rooster's head, outstretched arms and striped loincloth, executed with a metal point and enhanced with black pigment. This representation, directly inspired by the figure of Abraxas, belongs to the Gnostic tradition perverted in the rural black magic of the 19th century, where ancient symbols were reinterpreted for the purpose of invoking and dominating spirits. Bone, a carnal and translucent material, frequently served as a magical medium: it preserved the animal's vital energy and established a link between the visible and invisible worlds. Engraved with a hybrid being - a man's body and a rooster's head, a symbol of vigilance and occult power - this fragment could have functioned as an operative seal or instrument of conjuration. In certain rituals attested in Auvergne and Lozère, practitioners carved the name or image of a demon onto a bone, which they then exposed to a flame to activate its power. Abraxas, represented here in its popular form, no longer symbolizes the balance of good and evil, but the summoner's absolute power over lower forces. Its use was not protective, but restrictive: it was an object used to bind a spirit, obtain a favor, or break a contrary influence. The natural translucency of the support, visible in the light, reinforced its magical dimension during nocturnal or ceremonial use. The warm patina, tool marks, ancient inking, and organic wear indicate actual ritual manipulation and not a decorative exercise. By its hybrid nature—something between a talisman and an occult relic—this fragment testifies to a living rural esotericism, rooted in belief, secrecy, and fear. A witchcraft object that is both disturbing and meditative, it constitutes a rare material trace of the survival of black magic practices in the French countryside of the 19th century. Dimensions: Height 13 cm Condition: old patina, age wear, small losses on the edge, desiccation cracks. ALL DELIVERIES ARE MADE BY DHL EXPRESS ONLY.