Artemis of Ephesus (Oedipus Aegyptiacus)

The figure is depicted as a herm, wearing a mural crown (turreted headdress) and a veil. Her torso is covered with numerous rounded protuberances often interpreted as breasts or eggs, and her garment is adorned with reliefs of deer, bulls, and bees. Her arms are extended slightly outward with palms open, and she stands upon a pedestal marked with the monogram of the engraver.

This image appeared in Athanasius Kircher’s 'Oedipus Aegyptiacus' (1652–1654), a massive attempt to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs and connect them to universal Hermetic and Kabbalistic wisdom. Kircher utilized the Ephesus statue as a symbol of the 'Pangenetor' or the 'All-Begetter,' viewing the pagan deity as an early, distorted manifestation of divine creative power.