Ira and Larry Goldberg Auctioneers
Auction 96 14-15 February 2017
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Gupta. Kumaragupta I. Gold Dinar (8.20 g), ca. AD 414-455. Lion-slayer type. King, nimbate, standing facing and drawing bow to shoot lion at right. Reverse: The goddess Lakshmi, nimbate, seated facing on recumbent lion right, holding lotus and fillet; in upper left field, tamgha. Altekar pl. XII, 8; Bayana 1773; BMC 235. Very Rare. Delicately toned. Superb Extremely Fine. Estimate Value $5,000 - UP
The Hanbery Collection.
Kumaragupta I appears on the obverse slaying a lion as a sign of his personal bravery and military prowess, both of which were needed to retain the kingship. Although this coin was struck in the fifth century AD, the image of the king as archer slaying the lion was already very old indeed. Persian kings appeared on coins of the fifth century BC hunting lions in similar fashion, and the image can be traced back even further in the decorative arts.The reverse depicts a goddess who appears to take on aspects of two Hindu goddesses, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Durga ("the Invincible One"), a warrior goddess. The fillet and lotus that she holds associate the figure with Lakshmi, who was variously known as "the Lotus Dweller," "Holder of the Lotus," etc. However, Lakshmi's traditional vahana (animal-vehicle) was an elephant or an owl, while that of Durga was the lion. According to Hindu tradition, Durga came into being during the struggle of the gods (Devas) against the monstrous Mahishasura and his army of demons (Asuras). When initially defeated, Vishnu and his fellow deities were so enraged that their faces blazed with light. This divine light coalesced into the form of a woman and became Durga, who rode into battle on the back of a lion. After a great struggle in which Mahishasura turned himself into a water buffalo and an elephant, Durga killed him and the gods were again able to take up their abode in the heavens. The apparent conflation of Lakshmi and Durga here may be explained by the desire to present the king as having divine favor in bringing prosperity to his kingdom and in destroying its enemies. Combining these two goddesses would not have been problematic since in Hindu theology they were considered to be two elements of the Tridevi, a divine triad that also included Saraswati, a goddess of wisdom and the arts.
The Hanbery Collection.
Kumaragupta I appears on the obverse slaying a lion as a sign of his personal bravery and military prowess, both of which were needed to retain the kingship. Although this coin was struck in the fifth century AD, the image of the king as archer slaying the lion was already very old indeed. Persian kings appeared on coins of the fifth century BC hunting lions in similar fashion, and the image can be traced back even further in the decorative arts.The reverse depicts a goddess who appears to take on aspects of two Hindu goddesses, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Durga ("the Invincible One"), a warrior goddess. The fillet and lotus that she holds associate the figure with Lakshmi, who was variously known as "the Lotus Dweller," "Holder of the Lotus," etc. However, Lakshmi's traditional vahana (animal-vehicle) was an elephant or an owl, while that of Durga was the lion. According to Hindu tradition, Durga came into being during the struggle of the gods (Devas) against the monstrous Mahishasura and his army of demons (Asuras). When initially defeated, Vishnu and his fellow deities were so enraged that their faces blazed with light. This divine light coalesced into the form of a woman and became Durga, who rode into battle on the back of a lion. After a great struggle in which Mahishasura turned himself into a water buffalo and an elephant, Durga killed him and the gods were again able to take up their abode in the heavens. The apparent conflation of Lakshmi and Durga here may be explained by the desire to present the king as having divine favor in bringing prosperity to his kingdom and in destroying its enemies. Combining these two goddesses would not have been problematic since in Hindu theology they were considered to be two elements of the Tridevi, a divine triad that also included Saraswati, a goddess of wisdom and the arts.