Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XIV 21 Sep 2017
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Mysia, Kyzikos EL Stater. Circa 450-330 BC. Demeter kneeling to left, wearing grain wreath, sleeveless girdled chiton and himation which hangs from left shoulder, holding sceptre in left hand, grain stalk in right hand / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze 201; Boston MFA 1544; SNG France -. 16.00g, 19mm.
Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; one of very few specimens known and the only example of any denomination of this type on CoinArchives.
This extraordinarily rare coin features a most unusual depiction of the goddess Demeter: her kneeling posture is without parallel in surviving contemporary statuary or relief. Indeed, gods would rarely be depicted in kneeling postures without exceptionally good cause; not only does such a stance, low to the ground, diminish the aura of grandeur about them (particularly where statues are concerned), it was from a technical standpoint a more difficult pose to draw, engrave, or sculpt. That Demeter should thus be portrayed here is noteworthy, but perhaps not surprising – in fact, Kyzikos made extensive use of the kneeling posture on its electrum coinage, certainly due to the limited 'canvas' space available for the showcasing of the engraver's talent.
To compress a design of artistic merit into so small a space required no small degree of creativity. While almost all fully figural types, as well as most animalistic types, are placed into a space-saving crouch or kneel, such a requirement then necessitated the provision of a motive for the subject. In the case of animals or mythical monsters, this was simple: a lion or panther may crouch, ready to pounce; a bull or goat may recline in rest. Where gods and heroes are concerned, and the motive becomes more difficult to produce, so then does the ingenuity of the engraver shine the brighter: Hermes kneels as he reaches his hand into an urn set upon the ground (von Fritze 204); Odysseos kneels in order to sacrifice a prostrate ram (von Fritze 156); Silenos kneels as he pours win from a krater using his leg for support (von Fritze 172); Theseus places his knee across a centaur's back to force him to the ground (von Fritze 170). Here, Demeter is shown in the act of raising herself from a kneeling position - she puts her weight on her sceptre, held in her left hand, while in her right hand she holds and inspects the grain she has knelt to pick.
Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare; one of very few specimens known and the only example of any denomination of this type on CoinArchives.
This extraordinarily rare coin features a most unusual depiction of the goddess Demeter: her kneeling posture is without parallel in surviving contemporary statuary or relief. Indeed, gods would rarely be depicted in kneeling postures without exceptionally good cause; not only does such a stance, low to the ground, diminish the aura of grandeur about them (particularly where statues are concerned), it was from a technical standpoint a more difficult pose to draw, engrave, or sculpt. That Demeter should thus be portrayed here is noteworthy, but perhaps not surprising – in fact, Kyzikos made extensive use of the kneeling posture on its electrum coinage, certainly due to the limited 'canvas' space available for the showcasing of the engraver's talent.
To compress a design of artistic merit into so small a space required no small degree of creativity. While almost all fully figural types, as well as most animalistic types, are placed into a space-saving crouch or kneel, such a requirement then necessitated the provision of a motive for the subject. In the case of animals or mythical monsters, this was simple: a lion or panther may crouch, ready to pounce; a bull or goat may recline in rest. Where gods and heroes are concerned, and the motive becomes more difficult to produce, so then does the ingenuity of the engraver shine the brighter: Hermes kneels as he reaches his hand into an urn set upon the ground (von Fritze 204); Odysseos kneels in order to sacrifice a prostrate ram (von Fritze 156); Silenos kneels as he pours win from a krater using his leg for support (von Fritze 172); Theseus places his knee across a centaur's back to force him to the ground (von Fritze 170). Here, Demeter is shown in the act of raising herself from a kneeling position - she puts her weight on her sceptre, held in her left hand, while in her right hand she holds and inspects the grain she has knelt to pick.