The Apis Bull (Oedipus Aegyptiacus)

A high-contrast woodcut depicting the bull Apis standing in profile, facing left. The animal features a prominent solar disk encircled by a crescent between its horns, a hanging pectoral ornament or bell around its neck, and a distinct white patch or saddle marking across its midsection against a dark body. The anatomy is stylized with lean, articulated legs and a clearly defined tail.

This illustration originates from Kircher's 'Oedipus Aegyptiacus', a foundational text in 17th-century European efforts to decode Egyptian hieroglyphs and reconcile them with Hermetic and Neoplatonic philosophy. The Apis bull serves as a key iconographic representation of Egyptian sacred animal veneration as interpreted through a Baroque occult lens.