A silver phiale with medallion
PROPERTY FROM THE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF JULIAN SHERRIER
A silver phiale with medallion

ROMAN OR GANDHARA, CIRCA LATE 1ST CENTURY B.C. - EARLY 1ST CENTURY A.D.

細節
A silver phiale with medallion
Roman or Gandhara, circa late 1st century B.C. - early 1st century A.D.
The smooth, shallow bowl with rim folded in, centered by a separately made repoussé medallion of a bearded male figure holding a wine cup and lyre, seated on the back of a lion, a pointillé inscription in Karoshti on the exterior edge
7½ in. (22.7 cm.) diameter
381.5 g
來源
Private Collection, England, prior to 1979
出版
F. Baratte, East and West: A Central Asian Silver Hoard from the Parthian Era, 2002, p. 19-21, 59, fig. 4-5

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拍品專文

The presence of the wild beast and wine cup indicate this figure is of the Dionysian cult. A rock relief in Bisitun, Iran dated 148 B.C. shows a banqueting figured seated on a lion, see H. Luschey, "Bisutun" in Archaologischer Anzeiger, 1974, p. 122, fig. 15, and further comparables are seen in Central Asia, including the statues in the Buddhist sanctuary of Hadda, see P. Bernard, "Au-dèlé du plateu iranien: un hellénisme des confines et ses descendants indo-bactriens" in Le Grand Atlas de l'Art, 1993, p. 119-120.

Given his burly physique and beard, the figure has often been identified as Herakles. Herakles was taught to play the lyre by Linos, and when depicted with the instrument it is often in the context of the Dionysian cult or a formal performance, see "Herakles," J. Boardman and O. Palagia, LIMC, vol. IV, no. 1, pp. 810-816. For further discussion on the popularity of Herakles in Central Asia, see F. B. Flood, "Herakles, the 'Perpetual Acolyte' of the Buddha: some observations on the iconography of Vajrapani in Gandhara Art" in South Asia Archaeology, 5, 1989, p. 17-27.

The Karoshti inscription reads man[n]a sa 20 2 dra 2, which means "Weight stater 22 drakhma 2."