Spink USA
Auction 382 15 Jan 2023
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The Robert P Ball Cabinet of Ancient Coins | Macedonia, Akanthos, 'The Sun, the Moon and the Circle of Life', AR Tetradrachm, c. 525-470 BC, Lion right attacking Bull left and biting into its rear, acanthus leaf below beaded exergual line, rev. quadripartite incuse square, 12h (Jameson I, 207/929; Desneux 72/46f; SNG Lockett 1281 these dies), a trace of softness to highest points, otherwise neatly struck and lightly toned, a wonderfully captivating if unsavoury depiction, perfectly struck, near extremely fine, very rare.
Provenance
Bank Leu, by private treaty, 1970 - CHF7,000
Combat between predator and prey is an age-old allegory of the human life cycle; and was unsurprisingly the subject of many works of art in the ancient world. 'Predator-prey' designs on coins typically depict a lion overpowering a bull or stag, whilst an eagle devours a hare or a snake. This struggle was significant on both the physical and spiritual plain - a contest that costed one life, literally preserved another. The most dynamic of these Aesopian fables is represented here, a lion attacking a bull. In Near Eastern mythology the lion, symbolised royalty and the sun, whereas the bull represented the moon. The victory of the bull over the lion would seem to represent the daily triumph of the rising sun over the darkness of night.
Here, the lion sinks its teeth into the rump of the bull and slashes at its hind legs. The bull takes a defensive bite at the lion, its horns an ever present threat of further goring the feline. The composition in the round conveys a compelling 'in the round' sense of circular motion, adding to its artistic appeal to connoisseurs and collectors alike.
Estimate: $10000 - $15000
Provenance
Bank Leu, by private treaty, 1970 - CHF7,000
Combat between predator and prey is an age-old allegory of the human life cycle; and was unsurprisingly the subject of many works of art in the ancient world. 'Predator-prey' designs on coins typically depict a lion overpowering a bull or stag, whilst an eagle devours a hare or a snake. This struggle was significant on both the physical and spiritual plain - a contest that costed one life, literally preserved another. The most dynamic of these Aesopian fables is represented here, a lion attacking a bull. In Near Eastern mythology the lion, symbolised royalty and the sun, whereas the bull represented the moon. The victory of the bull over the lion would seem to represent the daily triumph of the rising sun over the darkness of night.
Here, the lion sinks its teeth into the rump of the bull and slashes at its hind legs. The bull takes a defensive bite at the lion, its horns an ever present threat of further goring the feline. The composition in the round conveys a compelling 'in the round' sense of circular motion, adding to its artistic appeal to connoisseurs and collectors alike.
Estimate: $10000 - $15000